Abstract:
A support plate for a slab-lined wall, ceiling, or floor construction for achieving decoupling between a ground and a surface lining to be affixed to the support plate. The support plate comprises a foil-like plate made of plastic material and provided with a plurality of chambers constituted by recesses with respect to a plane of the foil-like plate, outer end faces which form a first plate side and on an opposite side a second plate side, the recesses being configured for receiving a hardening contact means for providing a contact layer for the surface lining to be applied, a woven or non-woven fabric disposed on the first plate side, and an adhesion-strengthening layer made of a web-like material being applied to at least one of the first or second plate sides for lining at least the recesses of the chambers.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to German Application No. 10 2010 013 305.1 filed on Mar. 29, 2010, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a method of producing a support plate and to a support plate for a slab-lined floor, wall, or ceiling construction for achieving decoupling between the ground and the surface lining to be applied to the foil-like plate. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In many cases, slab coverings are laid using what is called a thin-bed method, with an appropriate contact adhesive being utilised in order to affix the slab coverings to the ground. Owing to varying degrees of thermal expansion between the surface lining and the ground and to the tensions associated with this, cracks may occur in the surface lining, which may ultimately lead to a detaching of parts of the surface lining. 
     In order to reduce such tension differences, DE 37 0441 4 A1 proposes a support plate made of a foil-like plastic material and comprising dovetailed grooves that are alternately open towards both sides, such that under conditions of compressive stress and tensile load said plate is movable in a cross-direction with respect to the extension of the grooves. On one side of the support plate, a net-like, non-woven fabric is provided in order to connect the support plate with the ground, for example a screed, and to achieve an enhanced bonding effect with an adhesive. This support plate has the disadvantage of being limited to one direction of expansibility and/or compressibility, which is a cross-direction with respect to the longitudinal extension of the dovetailed grooves. A support plate of this type is often not capable of ensuring the necessary tension reduction. 
     In order to achieve said tension reduction in both directions, a support plate has been proposed, according to DE 299 24 180 U1, which comprises embossings intersecting one another on one plate side so as to form, and circumferentially delimit, closed chambers. The chambers serve the purposes of receiving an adhesive or mortar and of forming adhesive or mortar stilts, which enables the formation of a tight bond with the adhesive or mortar layer and the surface lining affixed thereto. With said intersecting embossings, a foil-like plate is proposed which may be expanded or compressed, at least to a small extent, in both directions of the plane in which it extends, so that differences in tension between the ground and the surface lining may be absorbed by the support plate. In addition, the chambers have undercuts so that the adhesive or mortar stilts introduced into the chambers become caught in the undercuts of the chambers. 
     This configuration has the disadvantage that in the region of the undercut, the mortar stilts have a narrowing as compared to their post surface within the bottom of the chamber and that in the region of the narrowing, crack formation is an issue and the upstanding post members inserted into the chambers may become detached from the mortar layer resting on top of them. The positive interlocking initially provided by the undercut is severed by the formation of cracks occurring on the level of the narrowing. The tight bond no longer exists and the tension reduction between the ground and the surface lining is no longer possible. 
     DE 20 2005 004 127 U1 discloses a support plate made of a foil-like plastic material to be used in slob-faced floor, wall, or ceiling constructions which comprises a support plate consisting of a foil-like plate having recesses without undercuts. These recesses either have wall portions extending vertically between the one plate side and the outer end faces or have conically tapered wall portions. On the plate side from where the recesses extend, a net-like, woven or non-woven fabric covering or overlapping said recesses is provided, which is to say that the woven or non-woven fabric is realised in the form of a layer extending in a plane and spanning said recess. Owing to said net-like nature of the fabric, this configuration makes it possible for the adhesive or mortar layer that is to be applied thereto to permeate through the non-woven fabric overlapping the recesses and pass into said recesses and become bonded. Introducing the adhesive or mortar layer into the recesses will thus lead to the formation of adhesive or mortar stilts which become bonded with the woven or non-woven fabric, said non-woven fabric fully traversing the mortar stilt. This support plate makes it possible to satisfactorily reduce tensions occurring between the ground and the surface lining and to ensure a continuous decoupling as well as a secure fixation of the surface lining. However, the requirements that have to be met by such support plates are ever increasing. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     The invention provides a support plate made of a foil-like plastic material to be used in slab-faced floor, wall, or ceiling constructions which can be fabricated, and laid, in a simple manner, and that enables an enhanced decoupling, and/or reduction of tension differences, between the ground and the surface lining, as well as a method permitting the production thereof in a simple manner. 
     In particular, the invention provides a method of producing a support plate to be used in floor, wall, or ceiling constructions wherein a foil-like plate made of a foil-like plastic material and having recesses formed therein is fed to a first processing station in which an adhesion-strengthening layer made of a web-like material is applied to at least one plate side, in particular the side from where the recesses extend, and in which at least said recesses are lined by said adhesion-strengthening layer made of the web-like material. The lining of the recesses implies that the adhesion-strengthening layer closely fits the wall portions, in other words the side walls and the bottom, of the respective recess. This fabrication method makes it possible to achieve high processing rates and in particular, by employing what is called an inline method using a preferably continuous feed rate of both, webs and layers, to apply on an upper surface and/or a lower surface, or on a first and/or second plate side of the foil-like plate, an adhesion-strengthening layer made of a web-like material. The adhesion-strengthening layer made of a web-like material serves for enhancing the surface roughness of at least the recesses and/or increases the clinging action of the mortar or adhesive layer which is introduced into the recesses and applied to the surface portions surrounding the recesses. Owing to the configuration of the adhesion-strengthening layer, which is made of a web-like material, it is possible, in particular, to employ the inline method. 
     In another method according to the invention for producing a support plate to be used in a floor, wall, or ceiling construction, provision is made for a foil-like plate made of plastic material which is first flat or free from recesses, and an adhesion-strengthening layer made of a web-like material are fed to a processing station, such that one single forming step is employed to form the recesses in the foil-like plate and to apply the layer of web-like material to at least one plate side, in particular to the side from where said recesses extend, and to line at least the recesses. This method has the advantage that both the formation of the recess and at least the lining of the recess by the adhesion-strengthening layer made of a web-like material are carried out simultaneously. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the method, provision is made for the adhesion-strengthening layer to be applied, in the processing station, at least to the recesses of the foil-like plate, or for a woven or non-woven fabric to be applied, in a subsequent processing station, to the outer end face of the first plate side. Depending on the technique employed, it is possible, according to a first embodiment, to utilise a common processing station in order to apply both the adhesion-strengthening layer on the one plate side and the woven or non-woven fabric on the other plate side. According to an alternative embodiment, the woven or non-woven fabric may be applied to the yet unmethoded plate side in a separate processing station. In both alternatives, the woven and non-woven fabrics are preferably affixed only to the end faces of the first plate side. The empty spaces left between the end faces are spanned by the woven or non-woven fabric in a self-supporting manner. 
     In a preferred configuration of the methodes, provision is made for the foil-like plate and/or the adhesion-strengthening layer made of a web-like material and/or the woven or non-woven fabric to be heated on one side or on both sides before being fed to the processing stations. Thus it is possible for the individual components to be connected to one another in a simple manner by a single processing operation, in particular a welding operation. 
     In a further preferred embodiment, provision is made for at least the adhesion-strengthening layer made of a web-like material to be laminated, or welded, onto the foil-like plate. The welding of the adhesion-strengthening layer onto the foil-like plate may in particular eliminate the necessity of applying an adhesive layer and thus of performing an additional processing step. By the welding or laminating operation, a firm and durable bond between the adhesion-strengthening layer and the foil-like plate may be achieved. The same is true, by analogy, of the woven or non-woven fabric applied on the opposite plate side of the foil-like plate. 
     The invention further provides a support plate according to the present invention to be used in a floor, wall, or ceiling construction which has a foil-like plate made of plastic material and provided with a plurality of chambers constituted by recesses with respect to a plane of the foil-like plate, the outer end faces of which form a first plate side, and which, on the opposite side, has a second plate side, with an adhesion-strengthening layer made of a web-like material being applied to at least one plate side, said layer lining at least the recesses of the chambers. A support plate of this type has the advantage of enabling a simple introduction of the adhesive or mortar into the recesses for the purpose of fixating the surface lining and, at the same time, improving the bonding action between the adhesive or mortar and the support plate due to the adhesion-enhancing or adhesion-strengthening layer made of a web-like material. This prevents the surface lining from becoming loosened or detached. In addition, a uniform introduction of force into the foil-like plate may thus take place via the mortar stilts. Lining the chamber recesses, the adhesion-strengthening layer closely fits the side wall and the bottom of the respective recess, so that there is no such thing as a flat region of the layer consisting of non-woven or woven fabric according to the present invention covering the recess or overlapping the recess in a self-supporting manner, through which the mortar or adhesive might pass when introduced into the recess. 
     In a preferred configuration of the support plate, provision is made for the foil-like plate to have the adhesion-strengthening layer on the second plate side and a woven or non-woven fabric disposed on the first plate side. Support plates of this type are used in particular for interior works in which the support plate is bonded together with the ground, in most cases a screed, on which it is laid. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the support plate, provision is made for the wall portions present between the end faces of the cambers forming the one plate side and the surface portions connecting the chambers which form the opposite plate side to extend either vertically or in a conically tapered manner towards the respective chamber end faces. This configuration facilitates full introduction of the mortar or adhesive into the chambers so as to fill said chambers entirely with mortar or adhesive. 
     In a further preferred configuration of the invention, provision is made for the foil-like plate to be formed of a thermoplastic elastomer, in particular high-density polyethylene (HDPE), PE (polyethylene) or PP (polypropylene). These are cost-effective plastic materials which are particularly appropriate for this field of application. 
     In a further preferred configuration of the support plate, provision is made for the adhesion-enhancing layer formed of a web-like material to be at least partially bonded, laminated, or welded onto the inside of said recesses and on the surface portions of the plate side. This adhesion-enhancing layer made of a web-like material makes it possible, on the one hand, for the applied mortar or adhesive layer to have an increased mechanical bond with the foil-like plate and, on the other hand, makes the choice of a material to be used for the foil-like plate independent of the adhesion characteristics thereof with respect to the mortar or adhesive layer, while ensuring nonetheless a secure connection between the foil-like plate and the mortar or adhesive layer. 
     According to a preferred configuration of the support plate, provision is made for the adhesion-enhancing layer made of a web-like material to be realised as a mesh-like or net-like, woven fabric or as a web of perforated material which may be formed, for example, from synthetic fibres and/or textile fibres. 
     In an alternative configuration of the adhesion-enhancing layer made of a web-like material, provision is made for a non-woven fabric to be utilised. This may be a non-woven filter or a non-woven fabric made of synthetic fibres and/or natural fibres which, in particular, is provided with a grid or mesh structure or a hole structure or an increased surface structure. 
     Furthermore, provision may alternatively be made for the adhesion-enhancing layer to be formed from a plastic foil having components such as glass fibres or binders for the adhesive or mortar layer incorporated therein and/or granules applied to the outer surface and/or introduced into the layer or the like in order to achieve an interlocking effect or an adhesion-enhancing effect or a strong mechanical bond with the adhesive or mortar layer. 
     According to a further advantageous configuration of the support plate, provision is made for the same adhesion-enhancing layer made of a web-like material to be applied to both the first and second plate sides of the foil-like plate. Thus the support plate may be fabricated in a very cost-effective manner. In addition, due to the selection of an identical adhesion-enhancing layer for both sides, the adhesion characteristics with respect to the foil-like plate are identical, resulting in a simplified fabrication of a support plate of this type. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention, as well as other advantageous embodiments and developments thereof, will be described and explained in the following with reference being made to the examples shown in the drawings. The characteristics issuing from the description and the drawings may be applied according to the present invention either individually or as a plurality of features taken in any combination. In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the support plate according to the present invention, 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic sectional view of the support plate of the invention according to  FIG. 1  as seen in an installation situation, designed for decoupling variations in tension, and 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic sectional view of an alternative configuration of the support plate according to  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A support plate  10  according to the present invention is represented in  FIG. 1 . This support plate  10  comprises a foil-like plate  11  made of plastic material and having a plurality of chambers  12  constituted by means of recesses  14  formed in the foil-like plate  11 . The recesses  14  of the chambers  12 , preferably aligned on one side and identically oriented, are preferably realised in a repetitive arrangement of rows and columns or in some other defined pattern with respect to one another. Surface portions  16  are formed between the recesses  14  so as to connect the chambers  12  with each other. According to a first embodiment, conically tapered wall portions  18  extend from these surface portions  16  and merge each with a bottom  19 , the respective outer end faces  21  of which form a first plate side  22 . A woven or non-woven fabric  23  is laminated, or welded, on the end faces  21  of the chambers  12  and serves for ensuring a tight mechanical bonding between the support plate  10  and a contact layer consisting of adhesive or mortar applied to a ground. The woven or nonwoven fabric  23  is preferably realised in the form of a net-like fabric, in particular a fine-mesh woven grid or a perforated non-woven fabric. A fabric of this type may, for example, be formed from polypropylene. 
     Opposite the first plate side  22 , a second plate side  26  is provided which is formed by the surface portions  16  interconnecting the chambers  12 , and by the recesses  14 . On said plate side  26 , an adhesion-strengthening layer  27  made of a web-like material may be applied so as to line at least an inner surface of the recesses  14  and is connected to said inner surface. Preferably, this adhesion-strengthening layer  27  is also connected to the surface portions  16 . Preferably, the adhesion-strengthening layer  27  is applied all-over to the second plate side  26 . Preferably, the adhesion-strengthening layer  27  is welded or laminated onto the foil-like plate. In some cases, provision may be made for said layer to be applied by pressing or bonding. Thus, the adhesion-strengthening layer  27  comprises the same contour as the second plate side  26 . According to a first preferred embodiment, the adhesion-strengthening layer  27  is formed by a fine-mesh, woven fabric, in particular a woven grid, or by a perforated, non-woven fabric. Preferably, the adhesion-strengthening layer  27  is a perforated, non-woven fabric or a non-woven filter which is, for example, made of polyethylene or polypropylene. Likewise, a perforated plastic foil or a plastic foil having adhesion-strengthening components may be provided. These may be in the form of glass fibres or granules which protrude at least partially from the surface of the adhesion-strengthening layer. 
     According to a preferred embodiment of the support plate  10 , the woven or non-woven fabric  23  is of the same material, and is applied by the same procedure, for example by welding, as the adhesion-strengthening layer  27 . 
     Alternatively, provision may be made for the adhesion-strengthening layer  27  to be welded or laminated onto both sides of the foil-like plate  11 . The second adhesion-strengthening layer  27  is applied in a manner analogous to the first adhesion-strengthening layer  27  and may be applied simultaneously with, or subsequently to, the first adhesion-strengthening layer  27 . 
     The chambers  12  of the foil-like plate  11  represented in  FIG. 1  have a circular bottom  19  and are thus realised in a frusto-conical shape. As an alternative to the round bottom surfaces, provision may be made for the bottom surfaces to be triangular, square, or polygonal, or else rhombus-shaped or trapezoidal bottom surfaces or profiled bottom surfaces may be provided. 
       FIG. 2  represents a schematic side view of the support plate  10  according to the present invention, shown in an installation situation. Adhesive or mortar  32  is applied to a ground  31 . Subsequently, the foil-like plate  11  lined with the woven or non-woven fabric  23  is placed on the ground  31 . The mortar  32  forms a mechanical bond with the woven or non-woven fabric  23 . The mesh size of the woven fabric or perforation size of the non-woven fabric  23  is such that although upon laying of the support plate  10 , the mortar will not enter the regions  33 , i.e. the empty spaces formed between the chambers  12 , a strong mechanical bond is formed with the woven or non-woven fabric  23 . Air circulation in these empty spaces may thus take place. 
     Subsequently, adhesive or mortar  34  is applied to the second plate side  26 . The mortar or adhesive  34  may differ from the adhesive  32  applied to the ground. The mortar or adhesive  34  is applied to the surface portions  16  and the chambers  12  are filled up, so that preferably a flat and continuous support surface is formed by the mortar or adhesive  32  for a surface lining  37  consisting of individual tiles or slabs  36  to be received and fixed thereon. As the chambers  12  are filled and the mortar or adhesive  34  is spread on the surface portions  16 , the adhesion-strengthening layer  27  causes the adhesive or mortar  34  to become caught at the surface of said layer  27 . At the same time, mortar stilts, as they are called, may be formed in the recesses  14 , permitting load transfer to the ground  31  to take place. Once the plates  36  forming the surface lining  37  have been applied and the adhesive or mortar  34  has hardened, a joint material  38  is inserted in order to terminate the surface lining  37 . 
       FIG. 3  represents an alternative embodiment of the support plate  10  according to the present invention, shown in an installation situation. The foil-like plate  11  differs from the embodiment in  FIG. 1  in that the chambers  12  have a vertical wall portion  18 , so that cylindrical recesses  14  are formed. Apart from that, this embodiment is identical to the embodiment according to  FIGS. 1 and 2  and offers the same advantages. 
     For example, the support plate  10  represented in  FIG. 1  is fabricated in such a way that first the foil-like plate  11  is provided with chambers  12  by means of vacuum moulding or deep drawing. Subsequently, this foil-like plate  11  provided with chambers  12  is fed to a processing station. In parallel, a length of material of the adhesion-strengthening layer  27  is unrolled from, for example, a feed roller and is equally fed to said processing station. In the processing station, the foil-like plate  11  and the adhesion-strengthening layer  27  constituted by a web-like material are joined together, the adhesion-strengthening layer  27  being applied, in particular, to the second plate side  26 , i.e. welded to the surface portions  16  and to the inner surfaces of the recesses  14 . This may be provided by using a cylinder having punch-shaped, elevated portions which, on the one hand, move the adhesion-strengthening layer  27  into the recesses  14  and, on the other hand, press it onto the surface portions  16 , thus forming a connection which preferably extends all-over between the adhesion-strengthening layer  27  and the second plate side  26 . Preferably, the layer  27  is laminated to the surface of the plate side  26  under the action of heat and pressure. On the underside, a corresponding counter cylinder is provided which generates a counter-pressure at least on the outer end faces  21  of the recesses  14 . In this processing station or in a subsequent processing station, a woven or non-woven fabric  23  may be fed, and laminated, to the first plate side  22  of the foil-like plate  11 , which is bonded, or welded, to the end faces  22  of the recesses  14 . Subsequently, the finished support plate  10  is removed, cut to length, and rolled onto rollers or prepared in the form of sheet material, ready for being transported to the place of use. Such fabrication of the support plate may preferably be realised in a continuous fabrication method. Likewise, individual surface portions of the foil-like plate  11  may be connected cyclewise with surface portions of the adhesion-strengthening layer  27  made of a web-like material and with surface portions of a woven or non-woven fabric  23 . 
     In an alternative embodiment of the manufacturing method, provision may be made for a planar, prefabricated, foil-like plate  11  to be fed to a processing station in which both the chambers  12  and their recesses  14  are formed in the plate  11  and the adhesion-strengthening layer  27  is applied to the plate side  26 . In the same manner, the other woven or non-woven fabric  23  may be applied, at the same time or at a later stage, to the opposite plate side  22 , in other words the first plate side  22 . 
     In a preferred configuration of the support plate  10 , provision is made for the same adhesion-strengthening layer  27 , or the same material, to be applied to both the first and the second plate sides  22 ,  26 . On the plate side turned towards the surface lining  37 , i.e. on the second plate side  26  of the foil-like plate  11 , the adhesion-strengthening layer  27  is applied in a contoured manner, which is to say that the adhesion-strengthening layer  27  corresponds to the contour of the second plate side  26 , whereas on the first plate side  22 , the adhesion-strengthening layer  27  is attached exclusively to the outer end faces  22  of the recesses  14  and is disposed in a stretched, or at least partly stretched, manner over the regions extending therebetween, such that said regions  33  will remain as empty spaces.