Photoluminescent floor tile

• US 6,875,989 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2002
• Issued: 04/05/2005
• 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:
  US10/147,740
• Publication Number:
  US 20030215596A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,055 Days
• Field of Search: 428/49, 428/47, 428/44, 428/690, 252/301.16, 252/301.4 R, 252/462.1, 250/462.1
• 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 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: 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

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 tile base having a top surface and a bottom surface;

a thermoplastic resinous binder material within said tile base;

an non-transparent inorganic material within said tile base and forming a substantial portion of said tile base, the ratio of the weight of said inorganic material to said resinous binder being about 4.5; and

a photoluminescent material within said tile base having some the photoluminescent material exposed at said top surface of said tile base such that said tile base illuminates after ambient light has been removed, said photoluminescent material comprising about 20% of the total tile weight.

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

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

4. The tile according to claim 1 wherein said inorganic material is limestone, and the tile is a limestone tile.

5. The tile according to claim 1 wherein said inorganic material is clay and the tile is a ceramic tile.

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 tile base as fine particles.

8. A tile comprising;

a tile base having a top surface and bottom surface;

a thermoplastic resinous binder material within said tile base;

a non-transparent inorganic material within said tile base and forming a substantial portion of said tile base, the weight of said inorganic material being substantially greater than the weight of said resinous binder, the ratio being selected such that the combination of the inorganic material and the resinous binder results in said tile base being rigid;

a plurality of individual solid pieces within said tile base, each piece having photoluminescent material, and at least some of said pieces being exposed on said top surface of said tile base such that said tile base illuminates after ambient light has been removed;

wherein each individual solid pieces further comprises the non-transparent inorganic material and the resinous binder, the ratio of the weight of the inorganic material to the resinous binder being about 4.5, and said photoluminescent material comprises about 20% of the total weight of each solid piece.

9. The tile according to claim 8 wherein said inorganic material is limestone.

10. The tile according to claim 8 wherein said inorganic material is a clay.

11. The tile according to claim 8 wherein said tile base further comprising first colorant and each of said individual pieces further comprising second colorant.

12. The tile according to claim 11 wherein said first colorant is lighter than said second colorant.

13. The tile according to claim 8 wherein the plurality of the solid pieces having photoluminescent material add up to be about ⅓

of the total weight of the tile.

14. A tile comprising:

a tile base having a top surface and bottom surface;

a thermoplastic resinous binder material within said tile base;

a non-transparent inorganic material within said tile base and forming a substantial portion of said tile base, the weight of said inorganic material being substantially greater than the weight of said resinous binder, the ratio being selected such that the combination of the inorganic material and the resinous binder results in said tile base being rigid;

a plurality of individual solid pieces within said tile base, each piece having photoluminescent material, and at least some of said pieces being exposed on said top surface of said tile base such that said tile base illuminates after ambient light has been removed, wherein each individual solid pieces further comprises the non-transparent inorganic material and the resinous binder, the ratio of the weight of the inorganic material to the resinous binder being about 4.5, and said photoluminescent material comprises at least 20% of the total weight of each solid piece.