LAMINATE FLOORING PRODUCT WITH ENHANCED VISUAL AND TRIBOLOGICAL PROPERTIES

• US 20130025216A1
• Filed: 01/31/2012
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GrowLife, Inc.
• Original Assignee: GIP International Limited
• Inventors: Reichwein, David P., Pocock, Keith A.
• Application Number:
  US13/362,581
• Publication Number:
  US 20130025216A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 52/105
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 59/026 of layered or coated substantially flat surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/107 composed of several layers, e.g. sandwich panels layered products in general B32B; producing decorative panels or veneers B44C5/04

Abstract

A laminate floor product resembling a hand-scraped hardwood floor is disclosed. The product includes artificial beveled edges, hand-scraping marks, and chatter marks. The floor product may also include rolled or beveled edges with a decorative and/or scratch resistant paper extending to the peripheral edges.

Claims

1. A laminate flooring product, comprising:

an embossed floor panel having peripheral edges, a bottom surface, and a top surface;

a plurality of grooves embossed into the top surface of the panel, said grooves defining peripheral edges of at least one artificial floorboard; and

a plurality of visual marks embossed into the top surface of the panel, said visual marks detailing at least one hand-scraping mark and at least one defect mark.

2. The laminate flooring product of claim 1, wherein the grooves, hand-scraping mark, and defect mark have different embossing depths and geometries.

3. The laminate flooring product of claim 2, wherein the hand-scraping mark has a rounder geometry than the defect mark and the embossed grooves.

4. The laminate flooring product of claim 1, wherein the defect mark is an embossed chatter mark.

5. The laminate flooring product of claim 1, wherein the grooves and the visual marks have different gloss finishes, wherein the gloss finishes are textures on the top surface of the panel.

6. The laminate flooring product of claim 5, wherein the defect mark has a lower gloss finish that the rest of the panel.

7. The laminate flooring product of claim 5, wherein the textures are micro-textures.

8. The laminate flooring product of claim 1, further comprising a decorative layer substantially covering the top surface and extending to cover the peripheral edges of the panel.

9. The laminate flooring product of claim 1, further comprising a wear resistant layer substantially covering the top surface and extending to cover the peripheral edges of the panel.

10. The laminate flooring product of claim 1, wherein the peripheral edges of the panel are rolled.

11. The laminate flooring product of claim 1, wherein the peripheral edges of the panel are pressed beveled.

12. A method for creating a laminate flooring product, comprising:

acquiring an embossing plate, said embossing plate having a pattern protruding from a work surface, wherein the pattern defines peripheral edges of an artificial floorboard, a hand-scraping mark, and a defect mark;

pressing the embossing plate pattern into a top surface of a substrate to produce a master panel; and

cutting the master panel to form the final laminate flooring product.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein acquiring the embossing plate comprises:

routing the pattern onto the work surface of a plate;

applying a polymer mask to a work surface of the plate; and

etching a micro-texture onto the work surface of the plate, wherein the micro-texture is configured produce differing gloss finishes on distinct regions of the final laminate flooring product.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the polymer mask is formed from a photo-curable material.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the polymer mask is sprayed onto the embossing plate while the embossing plate is a cooler temperature than the polymer mask spray.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the substrate comprises at least one of a decorative layer and a wear resistant layer.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the master panel is approximately 48 inches by 96 inches.

18. A embossing plate, comprising:

a flooring pattern protruding from a work surface of the embossing plate, said pattern configured to form an embossed floor design on a surface of a substrate, the pattern defining peripheral edges of at least one artificial floorboard, at least one hand-scraping mark on the surface of the artificial floorboard, and at least one defect mark on the surface of the artificial floorboard.

19. The embossing plate of claim 18, wherein the peripheral edges, the hand-scraping mark, and the defect mark have different protrusion geometries.

20. The embossing plate of claim 18, further comprising a micro-texture on the work surface of the embossing plate.