FILLER ROD

Abstract: A filler rod consisting of an at least semitransparent plastic material with admixed nacreous pigment and preferably also coloured particles is applied to the joints between lengths of plastic material to provide a weld having an effect of depth and mirroring the colour hues at the edges of the joint.

Description: FILLER ROD The present invention relates to a filler rod consisting of an at least semitransparent heat-fusible plastic material, such as polyvinyl chloride. The lengths of plastic material which are attached to floors and walls must usually be welded together to obtain the requisite sealing effect. The welding is either a chemical welding during which PVC homopolymer or copolymer is dissolved in a solvent, whereupon the solution is applied to the joint between the lengths, or one uses a filler rod which is applied to the joint and heated and fused with the plastic material. Chemical welding has the disadvantage of a low solids content and, furthermore, inadequately fills the joint. It is easy to miss, and the joint will then not be watertight. In addition, its strength and elongation at break are low. A filler rod, on the other hand, gives tight joints, but these are not very attractive because they have fair¬ ly wide plain portions which distinguish from the more or less patterned material of the lengths. A marked colour deviation is obtained unless the lengths and the filler rod match in colour, and this is difficult to achieve since the colour of the plastic material fre¬ quently varies. The plastic material of present-day lengths often has an effect of depth that cannot be ob- tained with the filler rod which therefore has a flat and diverging appearance and, furthermore, gives the impression of being dirty. The present invention aims at obviating the above- mentioned disadvantages and producing, in filler rod welding, a satisfactory colour match between the mate¬ rial of the length and the filler rod, by means of a weld with coloured portions well matching the colour scheme of the lengths and having an attractive effect of depth. This is achieved in that nacreous pigment is mixed with the plastic material from which the fil¬ ler rod is produced. Coloured particles and pigment are preferably also mixed with the rod material. The desired colour match is obtained in that the nacreous pigment imparts to the rod a certain opacity. The nacreous pigment, the coloured particles and the length edges cooperate optically in such a way that the filler rod will obtain the colour of the length. Also the colour of the rod may be used in the context. The nacreous pigment adds lustre to the colour scheme. The coloured particles, for example coloured, plas- ticised and stabilised S-PVC, are admixed to the rod ma¬ terial in a suitable amount depending upon the pattern and the colour scheme of the length material, and produce a patterned effect. Since the rod is semitransparent, one can also see the coloured particles which are lo¬ cated below the surface of cut. In this manner, a smudge- concealing effect of depth is obtained. An embodiment of the invention will now be describ- ed in detail. The filler rod preferably consists of plasticised, semitransparent-fully transparent PVC or a mixture of PVC and vinyl chloride/vinyl acetate copolymer. A pre¬ ferred plasticiser is BBP or some other material accept- able from the viewpoint of staining and cleaning. Normal PVC stabilisers may be used, such as BaZn and Sn systems. A suitable amount of lubricant is added, for example stearic acid, waxes etc. Tests have shown the following compositions to be useful. Filler rod Suspension type PVC, k value 60 80 Copolymer with 10% acetate 20 BBP 55 BaZn stabiliser 2.5 Stearic acid 0.3 Nacreous pigment 0.5 If a patterned filler rod is desired, coloured par¬ ticles are admixed to the rod material during manufac¬ ture thereof, as has been mentioned above. Patterning material Suspension type PVC, k value 65 100 BaZn stabiliser 3 BBP 40 Pigment 2 The patterning material, when admixed to the filler rod material as defined above, must not melt into the latter because the pattern will then be lost. In view hereof, the patterning material must have a higher melt¬ ing point than the filler rod material. Although pattern¬ ing materials are usually admixed to the filler rod mate- rial, this is not absolutely necessary for some applica¬ tions. Like the present filler rods, a filler rod produced in accordance with this description is applied to the joint between the lengths and heated by means of a weld- ing tool or by the supply of hot air. When the weld has solidified, excess material is cut away.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Filler rod consisting of an at least semitrans¬ parent heat-fusible plastic material, such as polyvinyl chloride, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that nacreous pigment is mixed with the plastic material. 2. Filler rod as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i s e d in that the plastic material also contains coloured particles having a higher melting point than the plastic material.

Inventors: LUNDQUIST ESKIL SIGFRID, OLSSON OSKAR HENRY, LUNDQUIST, ESKIL, SIGFRID, OLSSON, OSKAR, HENRY
Applicants: TARKETT AB
Application year: 1988
Main classification: B29C65
IPC codes: B29C65, C08J5, C08K3