Surface coverings having a natural appearance and methods to make a surface covering having a natural appearance
DCFirst Claim
1. A floor covering having a natural wood, stone, marble, granite, or brick appearance, comprising:
- a backing layer;
a foam layer located on said backing layer and having a chemically embossed portion;
a design layer located on said foam layer and having a design selected from the group consisting of natural wood, stone, marble, granite, and brick, wherein said design includes joint or grout lines corresponding to said chemically embossed portion; and
a wear layer located on top of said design layer and mechanically embossed to form a mechanically embossed portion with a surface texture selected from the group consisting of natural wood, stone, marble, granite, and brick, wherein the surface texture is mechanically embossed in the wear layer when said wear layer is in a softened state and wherein said chemically embossed portion has an emboss depth greater than the emboss depth of any portion of said mechanically embossed portion.
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Abstract
A method for making a surface covering is disclosed which includes providing a surface covering having a backing layer, a foamable layer, and a design layer, wherein the design layer includes a portion of a pattern printed with at least one retarder composition. A wear layer is then provided on the design layer and the wear layer is cured. The foamable layer is thereby expanded to form a foam layer, and the pattern printed with at least one retarder composition is chemically embossed. The cured product is subsequently cooled to ambient temperature and then the top surface of the wear layer is subjected to a sufficient temperature to soften the wear layer. After being softened the wear layer is mechanically embossed with a surface texture, the embossed surface texture is set in the wear layer, and a top coat may then be provided on the embossed set wear layer. A surface covering having the various features described above is also disclosed. Preferably, the surface covering and the method for making the surface covering have a natural wood, stone, marble, granite, or brick appearance wherein the design layer includes one or more joint or grout lines created with at least one retarder composition and the wear layer is mechanically embossed with the surface texture of a wood, stone, marble, granite, or brick surface.
128 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A floor covering having a natural wood, stone, marble, granite, or brick appearance, comprising:
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a backing layer; a foam layer located on said backing layer and having a chemically embossed portion; a design layer located on said foam layer and having a design selected from the group consisting of natural wood, stone, marble, granite, and brick, wherein said design includes joint or grout lines corresponding to said chemically embossed portion; and a wear layer located on top of said design layer and mechanically embossed to form a mechanically embossed portion with a surface texture selected from the group consisting of natural wood, stone, marble, granite, and brick, wherein the surface texture is mechanically embossed in the wear layer when said wear layer is in a softened state and wherein said chemically embossed portion has an emboss depth greater than the emboss depth of any portion of said mechanically embossed portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A floor covering comprising:
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a backing layer; a foam layer located on said backing layer and having a chemically embossed portion; a design layer located on said foam layer and having a design; and a wear layer located on said design layer and mechanically embossed to form a mechanically embossed portion with a surface texture, wherein said wear layer is applied to said foam layer prior to curing and foaming, wherein the surface texture is mechanically embossed in the wear layer when said wear layer is in a softened state and wherein said chemically embossed portion has an emboss depth greater than the emboss depth of any portion of said mechanically embossed portion. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A floor covering, comprising;
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a backing layer; a foam layer located on said backing layer and having a chemically embossed portion; a design layer; and a cured wear layer having a mechanically embossed portion with a surface texture located on said design layer, wherein said design layer and said wear layer are applied to said foam layer prior to curing and foaming, and wherein a chemically embossed portion of said foam layer has an emboss depth greater than the emboss depth of any portion of said mechanically embossed portion. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification