Process for the production of a floor strip

ES 2 150 010 T3

DESCRIPTION

Procedure for the production of a floor strip

The present invention relates to a process for the production of a floor strip such as an expansion profile, a transition profile or a finishing profile.

US-4 198 455 relates to a method for forming a decorative molding strip comprising a plywood core covered by a superimposed film of a flexible decorative thermoplastic material. The rear surface of the core is provided with one or more longitudinally extending V-shaped grooves, the angle formed within each groove being practically 90 °. The groove extends inward through the core but ends in the overlying film, which achieves the function of a hinge to facilitate flexing of the mold strip in and around corners.

The production of floor strips such as metal strips, strips covered with wood veneer and homogeneous wood strips is already known.

There is a great need to have a floor strip with the same design as on a thermoset laminate floor. During the last few years, these soils have become very common. For example, they are produced with a wood design, a marble design and a fantasy design. It is possible that the user can use a homogeneous wood strip or a strip covered with wood veneer for some floors designed in wood. Hitherto known strips do not blend well with all other floor designs.

On the other hand, the aim of the present invention is to provide a floor strip with improved resistance to abrasion.

According to the present invention it has now surprisingly been possible to satisfy the above needs and to achieve a process for the production of floor strips, such as expansion, transition or finishing strips. The process comprises gluing, preferably under heat and pressure, a fine decorative thermosetting laminate of post-formable quality having an abrasion resistance measured as the IP value> 3000 revolutions, preferably> 6000 revolutions, on a longitudinal support having a rectangular cross section and at least two opposite rounded edges. The post-formable laminate is glued in a single piece on the upper side and on the two extended sides of the support by means of the rounded edges, after which one or more profiles for floors are machined from the support coated with the laminate. have the same or different cross section.

According to one embodiment, the support may be provided with a rectangular cross section with three rounded edges. The support preferably consists of wood pulp cardboard or a board made of small pieces of wood.

One of the great advantages of the production process according to the invention is that said process is very rational. From the same body, the support covered with the laminate, several profiles with variable shapes can be machined. Normally, a milling machine is used to machine the different types of profiles from the support coated with the laminate.

Preferably, the support is waterproof. In a preferred embodiment, the support consists of a high-density wood pulp cardboard made up of fine fibers.

In a preferred embodiment, the post-formable laminate is glued in one piece on three of the four longitudinal sides of the backing, preferably on the upper side and on two long sides via the rounded edges. Conveniently, a heat and moisture resistant glue is used in gluing. Preferably, gluing is carried out under heat and pressure. For example, the pressure can be regulated by means of rollers that press the laminate against the support. The temperature can be regulated, for example, with heating nozzles that can provide a uniform stream of hot air.

In another embodiment, the support may be provided with a rectangular cross section and three rounded edges. The post-formable laminate is then glued in one piece on all four sides of the backing via the rounded edges.

Suitably, the post-formable laminate consists of at least one patterned or monochromatic paper sheet impregnated with a thermosetting resin, preferably a melamine-formaldehyde resin, and preferably one or more sheets, for example parchment, vulcanized fibers or glass fibers. The last-mentioned sheets are preferably not impregnated with thermosetting resin, but the thermosetting resin from the sheets located above penetrates these sheets in the lamination stage, where all the sheets are joined together.

In general, the term "post-formable laminate" means a laminate that is so flexible that it can be formed, at least to some degree, after production thereof. Ordinary grades of thermoset decorative laminates are quite brittle and can be considered as post-formable laminates. Typically, the post-formable laminate includes at least one transparent paper topsheet of α-cellulose and impregnated with a thermosetting resin, preferably a melamine-formaldehyde resin. This sheet, known as an overlay sheet, is intended to protect an underlying decorative sheet against abrasion.

Often at least one of the paper sheets of the post-formable laminate impregnated with thermosetting resins, preferably the topmost sheet, is coated with hard particles, for example, salice, aluminum oxide and / or silicon carbide with a size half

ES 2 150 010 T3 of particles of about 1-80 µm, preferably about 5-60 µm, uniformly distributed over the surface of the paper sheet.

In a preferred embodiment, the hard particles are applied to the resin impregnated paper surface before the resin dries.

The hard particles improve the abrasion resistance of the laminate. Hard particles are used in the same way in the production of laminates that are subject to heavy wear, such as flooring laminates.

The abrasion resistance of post-formable laminates is tested according to European Standard EN-438-2 / 6: 1991. According to this Standard, the abrasion of the decorative sheet of the finished laminate is measured up to the so-called IP point (initial point) where the onset of abrasion takes place.

The IP value is conveniently in the range 3,000-20,000, preferably 3,000-10,000 revolutions.

In this way, the production process according to the invention makes it possible to manufacture profiles coated with laminates with the same surface design and with approximately the same resistance to abrasion as the laminated floors with which they are to be used together.

Of course, the design of the profiles can also be adapted to other flooring materials other than laminate flooring, such as parquet flooring and soft plastic flooring.

The present invention would now be explained in connection with the following example of embodiment and in relation to the attached figures, of which Figure 1 shows a post-formable laminate 1 glued to a longitudinal support 2. Figure 2 shows an expansion profile 3 with a post-formable laminate 1 glued thereon, while Figure 3 illustrates a finishing profile 4 with a post-formable laminate 1 glued thereon. Finally, Figure 4 shows a transition profile 5 with a post-formable laminate 1 glued to it.

In the Figures, the thickness of post-formable laminate 1 has been increased compared to the size of the support 2 and profiles 3-5, respectively, to better illustrate the gluing of the post-formable laminate 1 on the support 2 and profiles 3-5 respectively. .

As is logical, Figures 1-4 only show one embodiment of the support 2 and the profiles 35, respectively, which can be produced according to the invention. Various other designs are possible.

Example

A roll of so-called α-cellulose overlay paper with a surface weight of 25 g / m² It was impregnated with an aqueous solution of melamine-formaldehyde resin to a resin content of 70% by weight calculated on the dry impregnated paper. Immediately after impregnation, aluminum oxide particles with an average particle size of 50 μm were applied to the upper side of the paper in an amount of 7 g / m² by means of a roller-scraper located above the paper web.

In this way, the hard aluminum particles were applied on the melamine formaldehyde resin which had not yet dried.

The impregnated paper web was then continuously fed into a heating oven where the solvent was evaporated. At the same time, the resin was partially cured up to the so-called stage B. With this, the aluminum ioxide particles were included in the resin layer and, therefore, concentrated on the surface of the product obtained, which is commonly known as prepreg. . The prepreg band obtained was then wound up again.

In the same way as the overlay paper, a roll of so-called conventional non-transparent decorative paper was treated with a decorative design printed on it and having a surface weight of 80 g / m2.² except that no aluminum oxide particles were applied and that the resin content was 50% by weight calculated relative to dry impregnated paper.

In the production of the post-formable laminate, a non-impregnated parchment roll with a surface weight of 120 g / m was used.².

The two prepreg bands impregnated with melamine-formaldehyde resin and the non-impregnated parchment band were pressed between two press bands of a continuous laminating press to form a decorative post-formable laminate.

In pressing, a web of α-cellulose prepreg was placed on top with the side of the hard particles facing upward. Immediately below it was a decorative paper prepreg strip and at the bottom a strip of parchment. The prepreg bands and the parchment band were pressed together at a pressure of 35 Kp / cm² and at a temperature of 170 ° C.

The decorative post-conformable laminate obtained was cut with rotary blades to strips of suitable length and width.

A longitudinal support 2 with a rectangular cross section and with two opposite rounded edges according to Figure 1 was machined from a wood pulp board by means of a milling machine. the quality known as MDF (Medium Density Woodpulp Cardboard Quality) of high density and made up of finely divided fibers.

A post-formable laminate strip 1 was glued under heat and pressure on the longitudinal support 2 with a heat and moisture resistant glue. The pressure was regulated by means of rollers that pressed the laminate against the support and the temperature was regulated by means of heating nozzles that blew in a uniform stream of hot air.

By milling, a dilatation profile 3 according to Figure 2 was machined from the support coated with laminate.

Instead, and from the same support,

ES 2 150 010 T3 can produce two finishing profiles 4 according to Figure 3 or a transition profile 5 according to Figure 4. All this translates into a rational and economical production.

The abrasion resistance of the post-formable laminate obtained was measured. A value for the IP point was thus obtained which amounted to 7000 revolutions.

The present invention is not limited to the described embodiments since they can be modified in various ways within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.