Padded raised flooring panels and coverings

• US 20030110720A1
• Filed: 10/04/2002
• Published: 06/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: David Whitley, Graham A. Scott, Ray C. Anderson, Raymond A. Berard
• Original Assignee: David Whitley, Graham A. Scott, Ray C. Anderson, Raymond A. Berard
• Inventors: Whitley, David, Anderson, Ray C., Berard, Raymond A., Scott, Graham A.
• Application Number:
  US10/264,423
• Publication Number:
  US 20030110720A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 52/263
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 27/0475 Laying carpet tiles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/06 permitting easy separation
• CPC Class Codes: D06N 2201/082 Glass fibres
• CPC Class Codes: D06N 2203/048 Polyvinylchloride (co)polymers
• CPC Class Codes: D06N 2203/068 Polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: D06N 2203/08 Bituminous material, e.g. asphalt, tar, bitumen
• CPC Class Codes: D06N 2205/18 Scraps or recycled materials D06N2205/106 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D06N 2209/025 Insulating, sound absorber
• CPC Class Codes: D06N 2209/101 Vibration damping, energy absorption
• CPC Class Codes: D06N 2209/1628 Dimensional stability
• CPC Class Codes: D06N 2211/066 Floor coverings
• CPC Class Codes: D06N 2213/066 having an adhesive on the undersurface to allow removal of the whole carpet, rug or synthetic lawn from the floor, e.g. pressure sensitive adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: D06N 7/0081 with at least one extra fibrous layer at the backing, e.g. stabilizing fibrous layer, fibrous secondary backing
• CPC Class Codes: D06N 7/0086 characterised by the cushion backing, e.g. foamed polyurethane
• CPC Class Codes: D06N 7/0089 Underlays
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/02405 Floor panels
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/22 Resiliently-mounted floors, e.g. sprung floors laid as webs E04F15/16
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/62 related technologies for production or treatment of textile or flexible materials or products thereof, including footwear

Abstract

Panels (16) for use with access flooring (10) having a thick, resilient pad (20) bonded directly to and covering the entire surface of the panel (16). The pad (20) acts like the backing layer of a conventional floor treatment by absorbing impact and attenuation sound. A reinforced face cloth module (22) having only a face layer (24) and a stabilizing layer (26) is used to cover the pad (20) to protect the pad from wear and to provide an attractive floor treatment. The reinforced face cloth module (22) can be detachable or bonded directly to the pad. Alternatively, hook and loop fasteners can affix the pad to the face cloth module.

Claims

1. A raised flooring structure comprising:

a) a panel having a substantially rigid substructure and a resilient pad bonded to the panel; and

b) a topcloth layer detachably affixed to the resilient pad, whereby the top cloth layer can be detached from the resilient pad without destroying the resilient pad.

2. The raised flooring structure of claim 1 further comprising a stabilizing layer bonded to the top cloth layer.

3. The raised flooring structure of claim 2 further comprising an adhesive for bonding the topcloth layer to the stabilizing layer.

4. The raised flooring structure of claim 2 wherein the stabilizing layer further comprises nonwoven fiberglass.

5. The raised flooring structure of claim 2 wherein the stabilizing layer further comprises nonwoven fiberglass encased in an adhesive.

6. The raised flooring structure of claim 2 wherein the stabilizing layer further comprises nonwoven fiberglass encased in plastic.

7. The topcloth layer of claim 1 further comprising a pressure sensitive adhesive to detachably affix the topcloth layer to the resilient pad.

8. The panel of claim 1 wherein the resilient pad is bonded to the panel utilizing an adhesive.

9. The panel of claim 1 in which the resilient pad is made of solid, flexible polyvinyl chloride.

10. The panel of claim 9 in which the polyvinyl chloride is derived from recycled materials.

11. The panel of claim 1 in which the resilient pad is made of foamed polyvinyl chloride.

12. The panel of claim 11 in which the polyvinyl chloride is derived from recycled materials.

13. The panel of claim 1 in which the resilient pad is made of solid urethane modified bitumen.

14. The panel of claim 1 in which the resilient pad is made of foamed urethane modified bitumen.

15. The panel of claim 1 in which the topcloth layer further comprises a solid vinyl tile.

16. The panel of claim 2 in which the stabilizing layer further comprises fiberglass.

17. The panel of claim 4 in which the stabilizing layer further comprises a layer of urethane modified bitumen surrounding the layer of non-woven fiberglass.

18. The panel of claim 2 further comprising a means for affixing the topcloth layer to the resilient pad.

19. The panel of claim 18 in which the affixing means comprises a hook and loop fastener interposed between the resilient pad and the topcloth layer.

20. The panel of claim 18 in which the affixing means comprises pressure sensitive adhesive.

21. The panel of claim 1 in which the resilient pad is made of urethane.

22. The panel of claim 21 in which the urethane is foamed.

23. A panel for use with access flooring comprising:

a) a rigid panel having a top surface;

b) a resilient pad having a bottom surface affixed to the top surface of the panel; and

c) a detachable reinforced face cloth module having a top surface and a bottom surface which further comprises;

i) a topcloth layer in which a top surface of the topcloth layer defines the top surface of the detachable reinforced face cloth module; and

ii) a stabilizing layer comprising a non-woven fiberglass layer embedded in an adhesive in which a top surface of the stabilizing layer is affixed to a bottom surface of the topcloth layer and a bottom surface of the stabilizing layer defines the bottom surface of the detachable reinforced face cloth module.

24. The panel of claim 23 in which the adhesive is urethane modified bitumen.

25. The panel of claim 23 in which the resilient pad is made of polyvinyl chloride.

26. The panel of claim 25 in which the polyvinyl chloride is derived from recycled materials.

27. The panel of claim 23 in which the resilient pad is made of urethane modified bitumen.