Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Methods – Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-04
2001-12-25
Crispino, Richard (Department: 1734)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Methods
Surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
C156S240000, C156S247000, C156S277000, C156S289000, C427S146000, C427S148000, C427S280000, C428S195100, C428S914000, C428S049000, C101S487000, C101S491000, C101S492000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06332941
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to modular floors systems, and more particularly, to a molded plastic tile having superimposed images on an upper surface of the tile.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Modular thermoplastic floor tiles have been developed as a low cost substitute for conventional flooring surfaces, such as hardwood floors. In general, modular thermoplastic floor systems are less expensive to install and maintain than most conventional surfaces. Additionally, modular thermoplastic tiles have many beneficial properties that make them particularly suitable for athletic playing surfaces. For example, thermoplastic floor files have good impact absorption properties that reduce the risk of injury to players. For these reasons, modular thermoplastic floor systems are steadily gaining popularity. Examples of modular floor tiles are disclosed in the patents to Kotler, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,930,286 and 4,860,510; Menconi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,436,779; and Forlenza, U.S. Pat. No. 4,054,987.
While modular thermoplastic tiles make an excellent playing surface for athletics, they have not yet gained acceptance as a flooring surface in residential or commercial construction despite their many beneficial qualities. One problem is that such tiles typically come in only a limited number of designs and patterns. Typically, tiles come in either a solid color, or may have a marbled or granite appearance. Another problem is that the top surface of the floor tile becomes scuffed, thus detracting from the appearance of the tile. Also decorative designs put onto the surface of such tiles are typically just surface applications of paints, inks and plastisols or laminates. In high wear areas, such as basketball courts, these designs tend to scratch and erode off or delaminate at the edges. For these reasons, the use of molded tiles has been limited to athletic playing surfaces and other applications where appearance is not a primary concern.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a modular floor tile that can be made with an infinite variety of designs and patterns. For example, the plastic tile may be made with the appearance of wood grain, marble, stone or any other conventional flooring surfaces. Additionally, virtually any two-dimensional graphical image can be superimposed on and into the surface of the tile. Examples of graphical images include photographs, wallpaper patterns, paintings, cartoon images, portraits, and company logos. The patterns may repeat on every tile or may cover large arrays of tiles. The tiles may be used as floor, wall, or ceiling tiles. The tiles can be used in gymnasiums, office and commercial facilities, and in homes. Because the invention creates a modular plastic tiles with deep color penetration, their decorative designs can be guaranteed to withstand long term wear and abrasive or erosive environments.
The tile is constructed in two pieces—a top member and a bottom member. The top member is made of a relatively hard material that is resistant to scuffing and that readily accepts sublimation dyes to form images on the surface thereof. The bottom member is made of an impact-absorbing material such as SBR. The top member and bottom member are formed separately by injection molding and then subsequently joined by any suitable means. The method of joining the top member and bottom member is not a material aspect of the invention.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the top member includes a plurality of male and female connectors for interlocking the tiles with one another. The male connectors project outwardly from two sides of the top member. Corresponding female connectors are formed in the other two sides of the top member. The male connectors on one tile engage with the female connectors of an adjacent tile to interlock the tiles with one another.
Also, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the support member has a generally flat bottom surface and a plurality of spaced-apart support nodes extending downward from the bottom surface. The support nodes maintain the bottom surface of the support member in an elevated position relative to the underlying support surface to define an air circulation space between the bottom surface and the underlying support surface. Air can freely circulate between the support nodes within the air circulation space.
Preferably, images are superimposed on the upper surface of the top member after the top member is formed but before the top member is attached to the bottom member. The image is preferably formed by sublimation. In general, this process entails transferring an image printed on transfer paper onto the surface of the tile. The complement of the desired image is printed on a transfer paper using a class of dyes known as sublimation dyes. The transfer paper is placed face down onto the surface of the tile. Heat and pressure is applied to sublimate the dye on the transfer paper. When sublimation occurs, the dyes penetrate the pores and polymer matrix of the tile to transfer the image onto the tile. A key feature of the process is to control the heat and pressure applied to the top member during the sublimation process. Since sublimation requires very high temperatures, the top member will tend to warp when subjected to the high temperatures needed to sublimate the dye. The application of heat and pressure to the tile is carefully controlled to minimize warping of the tile during the sublimation process. Specially designed platens are used to uniformly heat the top member on both sides. Similarly formed platens are used to press the tiles while the tiles cool.
The present invention may also have other advantageous properties that will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the foregoing description.
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patent: 4172418 (1979-10-01), Durand
patent: 4174250 (1979-11-01), Durand
patent: 4462853 (1984-07-01), Ringer
patent: 4678528 (1987-07-01), Smith et al.
patent: 4792376 (1988-12-01), Denley
patent: 5246518 (1993-09-01), Hale
patent: 5693395 (1997-12-01), Wine
patent: 5916843 (1999-06-01), Weller
patent: 6025023 (2000-02-01), Valente et al.
Ballance, Jr. H. Leigh
Council Walter S.
Regutti Carl W.
Coats & Bennett P.L.L.C.
Crispino Richard
Invincible Products, Inc.
Lorengo J. A.
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