Flooring Industries Limited, Sarl

Unilin Bv

Christophe Maesen

Martin Segaert

Laurent Meersseman

Benjamin Clement

Bernard Paul Thiers

Dries Brouckaert

A panel may include at a substrate and a top layer provided on the substrate. The top layer may include a motif and a transparent or translucent synthetic material layer provided above the motif. The motif may be a print formed by digitally applying inks on the substrate with the intermediary of one or more primer layers extending underneath the print. The transparent or translucent synthetic material layer may include polypropylene and have a thickness of less than 1 millimeter.

Panel and methods for manufacturing panels

A method for manufacturing structured press elements comprises at least the following steps: the step of providing an element of metal; the step of providing a mask on a surface of the element for shielding portions of the surface; the step of treating non-shielded portions of the surface of the element; the step of removing the mask; wherein the method comprises at least a step in which the surface of the element is subjected to an ultrasonic treatment and/or that the step of providing the mask comprises at least a treatment with infrared radiation and/or that the step of chemically treating is performed with the surface directed downward.

Method for manufacturing structured press elements

A method for manufacturing a laminate panel, where in a first step a press element is manufactured showing a surface relief. In a second step by means of the press element a relief is formed in a surface of the laminate panel, where the surface relief of the press element is provided with protrusions, which during pressing form recesses in the surface of the laminate panel. The recesses imitate wood pores. When manufacturing the press element, at least a number of the protrusions is made elongate and as such are formed substantially or essentially by a machining treatment with rotating cutting tools.

Laminate panel, method for manufacturing a laminate panel and press element to realize the method

A method is provided for manufacturing a panel that includes a substrate and a top layer provided on the substrate. The top layer may include a decor film and a transparent film. The decor film may be a printed synthetic material film chosen from the group consisting of a vinyl-based film, a polyethylene based film, a polyurethane based film, and a polypropylene film. A print may be situated on an upper side of the printed synthetic material film. The transparent film may be a thermoplastic synthetic material film the material of which is chosen from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polyurethane, and polypropylene. The method may involve providing the decor film and the transparent film on the substrate by performing a first press treatment at an increased temperature to form a package of the substrate, the decor film, and the transparent film. The first press treatment may be performed by a calendar device or a continuous press device. A structure may be formed in the thermoplastic synthetic material that forms a surface of the package by performing a second press treatment using a press device with a structured press element at a temperature that is lower than the increased temperature.

A panel may include a substrate and a top layer provided on the substrate. The top layer may include a printed motif provided on a paper sheet and a transparent or translucent synthetic material layer. The paper sheet may be impregnated with polyurethane or polyisocyanate. The synthetic material of the transparent or translucent synthetic material layer may be polyurethane.

Laminate panel, which consists at least of a substrate, a decor and a transparent synthetic material layer, wherein the synthetic material layer is provided with a relief with elongate recesses, wherein the recesses have a cross-section with inclined flank portions, the inclination of which is more than 60&#xb0; and less than 90&#xb0;, and that the maximum depth over which said flank portions extend is larger than the maximum distance between the respective flank portions, measured in transverse direction and parallel to the plane of said panel.

A floor may include a substrate having a top side and a bottom side. A top layer may be provided on the substrate. The top layer may consist of a printed thermoplastic film and a thermoplastic transparent or translucent layer provided on the printed thermoplastic film. The top layer may be directly adhered to the substrate by heat welding the printed thermoplastic film and the top side of the substrate, in the absence of a glue layer. The substrate may be a synthetic material board including a filler. The substrate at least at two opposite edges may include coupling means provided in the synthetic material board. The thermoplastic transparent or translucent layer may be provided with a structure.

Floor panel

A floor panel may include a substrate and a top layer located above the substrate. The substrate may include a closed cell foamed synthetic material layer with fillers, and have an average density of more than 300 kilograms per cubic meter. The top layer may include a back layer, a printed synthetic material film above the back layer, and a transparent or translucent synthetic material wear layer above the printed synthetic material film. The back layer may include a vinyl compound with fillers, and have a thickness of at least 45 percent of the thickness of the top layer. The floor panel may include first mechanical coupling parts at the pair of long edges and second mechanical coupling parts at the pair of short edges. The first mechanical coupling parts may allow horizontal and vertical locking of two of such floor panels using a turning movement along the respective long edges.

A floor panel may include a substrate and a top layer located above the substrate. The substrate may include a closed cell foamed synthetic material layer with fillers. The closed cell foamed synthetic material layer may have an average density of more than 300 kilograms per cubic meter. The top layer may include a back layer, a printed synthetic material film located above the back layer, and a transparent or translucent synthetic material wear layer located above the printed synthetic material film. The back layer may include a vinyl compound with fillers. The back layer may have a thickness of at least 45 percent of the thickness of the top layer. The floor panel may be rectangular and oblong and may include a pair of long edges and a pair of short edges. The floor panel may include first mechanical coupling parts at the pair of long edges and second mechanical coupling parts at the pair of short edges. The first mechanical coupling parts may allow a horizontal and vertical locking of two of such floor panels using a turning movement along the respective long edges. The first mechanical coupling parts may include a tongue and a groove. The groove may be flanked by an upper lip and a lower lip. The first mechanical coupling parts may include a vertical locking mechanism having a vertically active locking surface at the upper side of the tongue and the lower side of the upper lip, respectively. The first mechanical coupling parts may include a horizontal locking mechanism having a horizontally active locking surface at the lower side of the tongue and the upper side of the lower lip, respectively. The horizontally active locking surfaces and the vertically active locking surfaces may be formed in the material of the closed cell foamed synthetic material layer.

A floor panel may include a substrate and a top layer. The substrate may include a closed cell foamed PVC layer. The top layer may include a back layer, a printed synthetic material film, a transparent or translucent synthetic material wear layer, and a surface layer. The printed synthetic material film may be a printed PVC film. The transparent or translucent synthetic material wear layer may include a vinyl layer, and have a thickness of 1 millimeter or less. The surface layer may include a UV hardened substance. The floor panel may include a pair of long edges with first mechanical coupling parts and a pair of short edges with second mechanical coupling parts. The first mechanical coupling parts may have vertically active locking surfaces, and horizontally active locking surfaces formed in the material of the closed cell foamed PVC layer.

A floor panel may include a substrate having a top side and a bottom side. A top layer may be provided on the substrate. The top layer may consist of a printed thermoplastic film and a thermoplastic transparent or translucent layer provided on the printed thermoplastic film. The top layer may be directly applied to the substrate using a glue layer available between the printed thermoplastic film and the top side of the substrate. The substrate may be an extruded synthetic material board including a filler selected from the group consisting of chalk, wood and sand. The substrate at least at two opposite edges may include coupling means provided in the extruded synthetic material board. The floor panel may have a thickness of 5 to 10 millimeters.

In a method for manufacturing floor panels that have at least a substrate and a top layer provided on the substrate, the top layer including a thermoplastic layer that is translucent or transparent, the method may involve providing the top layer, including the thermoplastic layer, on the substrate. The method may also involve heating at least the thermoplastic layer, and structuring the thermoplastic layer using a mechanical press element.

Methods for manufacturing floor panels

A method for manufacturing panels of the type which is at least composed of a substrate and a top layer provided on the substrate, the top layer includes at least two material layers, amongst which a print, the method may involve applying the two material layers, such that the print is performed directly on the substrate and the print forms at least a portion of a printed decor. At least one of the two material layers may include a mixture having at least a thermally curing component and a radiation-curing component.

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Lichtervelde, Belgium

Christophe Maesen