Photoluminescent floor tile

• US 6,841,785 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2002
• Issued: 01/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nd Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nd Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: Nolt, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomas, Alexander S.
• Application Number:
  US10/271,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20030215597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 428/47, 428/49, 428/689, 428/690, 250/462.1, 252/301.16, 252/301.4 R
• US Class Current: 250/462.1
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 3/00 Devices or single parts for facilitating escape from buildings or the like, e.g. protection shields, protection screens; Portable devices for preventing smoke penetrating into distinct parts of buildings A62B1/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/422 Luminescent, fluorescent, phosphorescent
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2419/04 Tiles for floors or walls tiles for roofs B32B2419/06
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/20 using fillers, pigments, thixotroping agents
• CPC Class Codes: B44C 5/0461 used as wall coverings
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/02 Flooring or floor layers composed of a number of similar elements of webs E04F15/16
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/08 only of stone or stone-like material, e.g. ceramics, concrete; of glass or with a top layer of stone or stone-like material, e.g. ceramics, concrete or glass E04F15/02005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2290/026 for lighting
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/20 with luminescent surfaces or parts luminescent compositions C09K11/00; light sources using luminescence F21K2/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/16 Two dimensionally sectional layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/192 Sheets or webs coplanar
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24372 Particulate matter
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/25 Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and including a second component containing structurally defined particles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31504 Composite [nonstructural laminate]

Abstract

A photoluminescent tile composition made of a tile base and a matrix of photoluminescent material disbursed throughout the tile base. The tile base includes a non-transparent mineral filler. The photoluminescent material located on exposed surfaces absorb and release light. The same manufacturing methods and equipment used to manufacture conventional floor tile can be used to manufacture floor tiles from the tile composition.

Claims

1. A rigid tile comprising:

a non-photoluminescent substrate;

a wear layer having a top surface, and a bottom surface, said bottom surface being bonded to said substrate;

a non-transparent inorganic material within said wear layer and forming a substantial portion of said wear layer;

a thermoplastic resinous binder within said wear layer, the weight of said inorganic material being substantially greater than the weight of said resinous binder, the ratio of said inorganic material and said resinous binder being about 4.5; and

a photoluminescent material within at least an upper portion of said wear layer, adjacent to the top surface such that said wear layer illuminates after ambient light has been removed.

2. The tile according to claim 1 wherein said inorganic material is approximately 65% of the total weight of said wear layer.

3. The tile according to claim 1 wherein said resinous binder is approximately 15% of the total weight of said wear layer.

4. The tile according to claim 1 wherein said photoluminescent material is approximately 20% of the total weight of said wear layer.

5. The tile according to claim 1 wherein said inorganic material within the wear layer is limestone.

6. The tile according to claim 1 wherein said resinous binder is one or more vinyl resins.

7. The tile according to claim 1 wherein the photoluminescent material is dispersed within said wear layer as fine particles.

8. The tile according to claim 7 wherein the photoluminescent material is dispersed through out the entire thickness of the wear layer.

9. The tile according to claim 8 wherein the wear layer further comprising an upper portion adjacent to the top surface and a lower portion adjacent to the bottom surface and wherein the photoluminescent material is dispersed only in the upper portion of said wear layer.

10. The tile according to claim 1 wherein the substrate is a vinyl tile flooring material.

11. The tile according to claim 1 further including an overcoating layer positioned over said wear layer.

12. The tile according to claim 11 wherein said overcoating layer is transparent.