Patent Abstract:
A method for providing embedded vinyl products comprises applying design material to a bottom or a top surface of a liquid vinyl substrate. When applying to the bottom surface liquid vinyl substrate, the design materials are applied to a conveyor and the vinyl substrate layer is applied over the design material. When applying to an exposed top layer of the vinyl substrate, the design material is applied so that at least a portion of it remains visible from the top surface of the exposed layers so that it creates a design therein.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to vinyl products, more specifically to vinyl products having embedded particles therein. 
     2. Brief Description of Related Art 
     Tufted pile carpet, when provided as tile normally has at least one layer of vinyl below the yarn pile. These layers are not visible from above since the yarn extends from a backing above the vinyl layer and obscures view to the vinyl layer(s) below. The vinyl layers improve the cushioning effect of the carpet as well as the durability of the carpet. 
     Some manufacturers imprint arrow signs on the reverse, or bottom side, of the vinyl layer to aid an installer during the installation of carpet tile. These imprints are not covered with additional layers of vinyl since they need to be visible during installation, if at all, depending upon the skill of the installer. Furthermore, the images are not visible once the tile is installed since the image is obscured by the vinyl layer(s), backing and pile. 
     Linoleum is typically manufactured by placing at least one pattern layer atop a backing and then covering with a clear wear layer. The pattern layers are believed to have the pattern preformed therein prior to the pattern layer being applied to the backing. While linoleum has been provided in tile and roll formats, a need exists for an alternative flooring product which has advantages including high durability and attractive aesthetic properties. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,781,941 shows a bath mat having a non-vinyl base layer with a design printed thereon and subsequently coated with a vinyl layer with polycarbonate particles sprayed onto the vinyl so that the polycarbonate particles are absorbed into the vinyl layer as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . The polycarbonate particles do not extend to the upper surface of the vinyl layer as they are shown completely coated by the vinyl. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,344 shows a similar construction where sand particles are coated during the application process of the particles through spraying similar to U.S. Pat. No. 5,781,941. While these techniques described and shown in these patents may provide a non-slip surface, the textures left by this process are not believed to be desirable for some applications and do not fully exploit the design potential of embedded particles in vinyl. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the invention is to provide a new vinyl product and method of its manufacture for use with flooring, wall covering and possibly other uses. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide an aesthetically pleasing and durable sheet vinyl product. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and vinyl product for which provides desirable visual effects. 
     Accordingly, a vinyl product and its method of manufacture are disclosed herein. Vinyl, more precisely, polyvinyl chloride, is available in liquid form which can be manufactured into solid sheets having one or more layers. A decorative image is formed on a top or bottom surface of the vinyl layer. The decorative image may be formed by the application of material to an exposed, or top layer, of the vinyl prior to curing, or alternatively the decorative image may be provided on the surface of the vinyl carried by a conveyor belt through the curing process (i.e., the bottom surface). When applying to the exposed surface, the particulate may be dropped, sprayed or otherwise applied without completely coating the embedded particles as has been done in the prior art. When the design is to be provided on the surface carried by the belt through the manufacturing process, the design material may be first placed on the belt prior to applying the liquid vinyl substrate to the conveyor belt. Accordingly, the design material along with the vinyl form a surface which conforms to the surface of the belt. When the designs are applied to the belt prior to applying the vinyl substrate, interesting designs can be created when the design material is provided in liquid form especially when the design material is only allowed to partially cure, if at all, prior to applying the vinyl liquid substrate. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The particular features and advantages of the invention as well as other objects will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view showing the method of making the vinyl product; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross section taken along the line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of the belt in a first preferred embodiment after the application of the particulate to the belt and prior to the application of the liquid vinyl substrate; 
         FIG. 4  is a second preferred embodiment showing particulate matter extending from the top surface of the cured vinyl; and 
         FIG. 5  is a top perspective sectional view of a portion of the vinyl tile produced in accordance of the method of  FIG. 1  in the preferred embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Accordingly,  FIG. 1  shows the production line  10  for producing vinyl product  12 . The vinyl product  12  has an upper side  14  or an exposed side as well as a bottom surface  16  which is supported on a conveyor illustrated as a belt  18  through the manufacturing process in the preferred embodiment. The belt  18  is supported by rollers  20 , 22 , and other rollers and supports may also be utilized through the manufacturing processes as needed. Beginning at first roller  20 , the belt  18  may be applied with a design material such as liquid vinyl from hopper  24 . 
     In the preferred embodiment as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the hopper  24  is divided into first and second compartments  26 , 28  which allow for the deposition of two different design material onto the belt  18 . Specifically, in a presently preferred embodiment the hopper  24  dispenses two different colors of liquid vinyl illustrated as droplets  30 , 32  respectively from the first and second compartments  26 , 28 . Each of the droplets  30 , 32  may take other forms as they leave the hopper  24 , but droplets are illustrated for the convenience of illustration purposes. When the droplets  30 , 32 , contact the belt  18 , they form a pattern  34  as shown in  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 3  will be discussed in further detail below. Alternatively, the hopper may contain vinyl having two different viscosities as hereinafter described. 
     The design material may vary in nature from one provided in liquid vinyl or other liquid form having various viscosity properties, various melting points in addition to color selections. Accordingly, a first deposited material  36  may respond differently upon contact with the belt  18  than the second deposited material  38  such as by forming a tighter droplet, i.e., not spreading out as much for the same volume of the viscosities differ. Of course, the hopper  24  may be designed such that orifices or jets may be of various sizes to also effect the pattern  34  created on the belt  18 . Solid design material may also be dispensed from one or more compartments  26 , 28  in the hopper  24  or hoppers. 
     It has been found desirable to partially cure the deposited material, especially when liquid is applied so that when applying the substrate vinyl layer, the colors do not run together. (The substrate layer is typically selected as a different color from the design material.) Although in some environments, it may be desirable to have some running of colors. Accordingly, heated plates  40  are useful to at least partially cure the design material prior to the application of substrate layer  42  from dispenser  44  as shown in  FIG. 1  in the preferred embodiment. In other embodiments, this step may not be necessary or desired. A leveler  46  is useful to provide a desired thickness between the top and bottom surfaces  14 , 16  of the vinyl product  12 . The dispenser  44  may be supplied from a plurality of sources and valves  48  allow for selective control from liquid vinyl supply sources not shown in  FIG. 1 . When applying the substrate layer  42  over the first and/or second deposited materials  36 , 38 , if so utilized, the vinyl product  12  then may pass through oven  52  and over chilling plates  52  to provide the vinyl product  12  shown passing over second roller  22  for further processing such as cutting into tiles or rolling into rolls, etc. 
     While liquid vinyl has been the design material discussed, other deposited material such as chips, pellets, polyethylene pellets, or other form of polyethylene, polypropylene, and/or metal in various forms and colors may be utilized as design material. Furthermore, multiple colors may be utilized along with various design material types. 
     After applying the substrate layer  42  over the design material, a fiberglass scrim  50  or other material may be placed on the substrate layer  54  and a second vinyl layer  54  applied as shown in  FIG. 1 . The fiberglass scrim  50  is believed to add stability to the flooring product, but is not necessary in all embodiments. As can be seen in  FIG. 1 , the scrim  50  is placed atop the substrate layer  42  and fed towards oven  52 . 
     With the second vinyl substrate layer  54  applied to the scrim  50  over the first layer  42 , the “sandwich” is sent to the oven  52  where it is cured and onto cooling plates  56  where the vinyl product  12  is then directed for further processing. 
     While in the preferred embodiment the design material is placed directly on top of the conveyor illustrated as belt  18 , it is alternatively preferred that the design material may be placed on the upper surface  14  of the vinyl product  12  as shown in  FIG. 1 . An applicator  58  may move up and down as illustrated to shake the pellets, like a salt shaker onto the upper surface  14 . In addition to the up and down movement, the applicator  58  may also move side to side or otherwise to impart a particular design on top of the upper layer  14 . Of course, it is alternatively preferred that only a single layer of vinyl substrate  52  or  54  be utilized with this process. 
     When utilizing the applicator  58  it is anticipated that the design material will be deposited to remain at least level with top surface  14  of the vinyl product  12 , if not extending a distance above the upper level  14  as shown in  FIG. 4 . If the design material is liquid, it is possible that it may be substantially planer with the upper level  14  depending on the viscosity. Alternatively, the design material may rise in bumps or in discontinuous particulate form as shown in  FIG. 4 . Accordingly, by depending on the selection of the design material, various configurations and textures may be developed. It is important that the design material not be encapsulated within the vinyl material during the application process as this has been done before, and although it would impart texture to the vinyl product, it does not impart a design since the vinyl substrate layer  54  would be continuous across this upper surface. Since the design material is preferably at least one different color than the substrate layer  54 , obscuring it within the substrate layer  54  would cause the intended design to “disappear.” 
       FIG. 2  shows a front view of the first roller  20  as taken along the line  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1 . The hopper  24  is shown supported on a track  60  and driven by motor  62  so that the hopper  24  moves laterally about the track  60  in a desired reciprocating motion. Gear  64  is connected to the motor  62  which drives link  66  connected to the hopper  24 . Spring members  68  between stops  70 , 72  have been found useful to assist in imparting the desired motion to the hopper  24 . 
       FIG. 3  is useful to show the difference between a stationery hopper  24  and a reciprocating hopper  24  as moved as described above. First design  74  was made with a stationery hopper constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment. The hopper  24  is constructed as a pan having a plurality of orifices at the bottom which are various diameters such that when liquid vinyl is placed therein, it drips and/or streams depending upon the viscosity of the liquid and the speed of the conveyor to create the first design  74 . Furthermore, while orifices are described as being located in the hopper  24 , this orifices may take a variety of shapes. Of course, the speed of the belt  18  also plays a role in the particular first design  74  experienced on the belt  18 . Using the same viscosity, hopper configuration and speed of the belt  18  while imparting a lateral reciprocating motion to the 24 results in second design  76  which is believed to be more desirable in some applications. Although a single color is illustrated in  FIG. 3  for simplicity&#39;s sake, a plurality of colors could be dispensed from various configurations of hoppers  24  to create even more unusual patterns  34 . Furthermore, in addition to applying liquid design material, particulate could also be deposited to form the patterns  34 . Once the liquid is deposited on the conveyor, the liquid may be partially cured or not cured at all or completely cured prior to applying a substrate layer shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , an interesting feature about applying a liquid design material to the conveyor is that it conforms to the texture of the belt surface  18 . Accordingly,  FIG. 5  shows a single layer substrate  42  with first and second deposition material  36 , 38  which extend up to the top surface  78  as well as side surfaces  80  and channel surface  82  which correspond with a groove or a ridge on the belt  18 . Of course, other belts  18  may have other patterns such as a checkerboard pattern, or even embossed designs which can be imprinted on the vinyl product top surface (It is to be understood that the top surface  78  in this embodiment was originally the lower surface  16  as it passed through the production line  10 ). Just like in the alternatively preferred embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 , the design material extends up to the top surface  78 , side surface and channel surface  82  and the design material is not encapsulated as has been done in the prior art. 
     Additionally, although the pellets illustrated as cylindrically or barrel shaped in  FIG. 4 , they could take on a variety of shapes depending on the desire of the designer. Initially, it may be desirable to not partially cure the design material when it is in liquid form so that it might intentionally diffuse into the substrate layers  54  or  42 . Accordingly, the design material may have different sizes, different shapes, different colors, different material, varying viscosity, varying melting points, and be applied through a moving applicator or a stationery applicator including applicators that move laterally oscillate up and down. Furthermore, a roller  84  having a design impressed thereon as shown in  FIG. 4  may be lowered as illustrated to contact the first and second deposited material  36 , 38  and provide a pattern which corresponds at least partially to that on the roller  84  prior to applying the substrate  42 . Liquid vinyl design material utilized includes high melt, low melt, scratch resistant, not scratch resistant and various thickeners and solvents have been added to create various textures and designs. 
     When adding solids of design material, the color can vary from being opaque, translucent, transparent, to any desired color. The particulate may be added as cylinders, irregular chips, or any other shape desired. Additionally, when added as a particulate, it may have a melting point so that it can possibly partially diffuse into the surrounding vinyl substrate. Accordingly, the designs can vary to a design somewhat akin to a Jackson Pollock to repetitive patterns to intended images especially when a roller  82  is utilized. Accordingly, a wide range of patterns and designs can be created utilizing the techniques described and shown herein. After producing the embodiments in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , a clear or translucent layer of vinyl may be applied. 
     Numerous alterations of the structure herein disclosed will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be understood that the present disclosure relates to the preferred embodiment of the invention which is for purposes of illustration only and not to be construed as a limitation of the invention. All such modifications which do not depart from the spirit of the invention are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 3