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  Laminar covering materialUSPTO Application #: 20070037461Title: Laminar covering material Abstract: A covering material, such as a flooring, comprises a layer of resilient material, for example rubber-based material, and a plane metal reticular structure, for example made of aluminium, coupled to the layer of resilient material. The metal reticular structure is at least partially emerging at the surface of the layer of resilient material. Provided on the side of the layer of resilient material opposite to the plane metal structure is a balancing layer, for example in the form of a network of fibres, such as glass fibre. Preferentially, the balancing layer has associated to it an outer layer of geotextile material and/or material in the form of felt. (end of abstract) Agent: Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti PC - Albany, NY, US Inventor: Fernando STROPPIANA USPTO Applicaton #: 20070037461 - Class: 442001000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Fabric (woven, Knitted, Or Nonwoven Textile Or Cloth, Etc.), Scrim (e.g., Open Net Or Mesh, Gauze, Loose Or Open Weave Or Knit, Etc.) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070037461. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims priority from European Patent Application No. 05425587.2, filed on Aug. 9, 2005, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD [0002] The invention relates to laminar covering materials that can be used, for example, for providing floorings such as floorings for civil applications, and in particular for "industrial" applications. The term "industrial" is here meant, in general, to refer to floorings that are exposed to conditions in which there is a lot of coming-and-going of people or that are subject to extensive wear (for example, airports, railway or bus stations, underground stations, commercial centres, etc.). In particular, the invention relates to a laminar covering material that can be made with a resilient material, such as a material for "resilient floorings". BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] The term "resilient flooring" or "resilient floor covering" is intended to indicate the types of resilient flooring identified according to the CEN/TC134 Committee operating in the framework of the European Standards Committee, and in particular the types of flooring identified in the EN650 standard. It refers therefore, according to the current acceptation of the term, to resilient floorings made with materials comprising, for example, natural, synthetic, and artificial rubbers, artificial and synthetic resins (for example, polyolefin-based materials, PVC-based materials, and the like), as well as materials having a particular composition, such as for instance linoleum. [0004] The known art regarding floor-covering materials of this type is extremely extensive, as certified, for example, by the documents Nos. U.S. Pat. No. 4,772,500, U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,554, U.S. Pat. No. 5,899,038, US-A-2003/006522, U.S. Pat. No. 6,391,381, U.S. Pat. No. 6,418,691, U.S. Pat. No. 6,809,144, US-A-2005/006809 and US-A-2005/065236, all assigned in ownership to the assignee of the present patent application. [0005] In the production of covering materials (and in particular materials for floorings) of the type described herein, it is necessary to take into account requirements of various nature, which, in effect, frequently contrast with one another. [0006] One of the most deeply felt requirements is that of providing covering materials that are able to combine an attractive aesthetic appearance with qualities of high resistance to wear, low deformation even under heavy loads, dimensional stability (in particular, conservation of the characteristics of planarity over time), absence of phenomena of detachment from the laying substrate, together with characteristics of tread that are completely satisfactory (good anti-slip performance, low noise). [0007] The impossibility of satisfying all these requirements in an ideal way means that, at least for some applications, the choice of the users is oriented towards covering materials of a different type (in general, of a more traditional type) such as, for example, ceramic, marble and/or stone coverings and floorings, said covering materials in turn not, however, being without some major drawbacks, such as, for example, the weight (which renders far from readily proposable, for example, the use of said materials on board vehicles), the risk of failure and of cracking in the presence of possible deformations or vibrations of the laying substrates (which, once again, renders problematical the use of floorings of this kind on board mobile structures or also within civil structures in areas exposed to the risk of earthquake). SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0008] The object of the present invention is to provide a covering that is able to solve in an ideal way the problems linked both to the use of resilient materials and to the use of the alternative materials considered previously, the aim being to provide a covering material that is able to combine the characteristics of high aesthetic quality and of resistance to the stresses due to tread of some traditional materials with the qualities of performance (in particular, treading "comfort") and of low weight traditionally recognized to coverings with a base of resilient materials. [0009] According to the present invention, the object above is achieved thanks to a covering material having the characteristics referred to specifically in the ensuing claims. [0010] Essentially, the solution described herein is based upon recourse to a combination between a metal material (in particular, in the form of a reticular structure) and a resilient material. This combination is not in itself new to the art; it is extensively used, for instance, in the production of conveyor belts, and in the automotive industry for making tyres and components such as sleeves, anti-vibrating elements and the like, in which an elastomer is combined with a structure of metal reinforcement, typically having a reticular structure. [0011] The above "Technological" solutions usually contemplate, however, that the metal reinforcement structure is kept in a hidden ("embedded") position with respect to the mass of elastomer material, seeking rather to contain as far as possible any risks of exposure of the metal structure with respect to the metal/elastomer composite material. [0012] The solution described herein moves, instead, in the exactly opposite direction and is based upon the recognition of the fact that--in an altogether surprising and unexpected way--the, at least partial, exposure of the reinforcement metal structure on the outer surface of the covering bestows upon the covering material excellent characteristics of resistance to wear, low deformation even under heavy loads, dimensional stability (in particular, conservation of characteristics of planarity over time), absence of phenomena of detachment from the laying substrate, together with altogether satisfactory characteristics of tread (good anti-slip performance, low noise). [0013] Added to the above is an appreciable high aesthetic quality without this having any adverse effect on the intrinsic qualities demonstrated by coverings with a base of resilient material. This regards in a particular, but not exclusive, way the possibility of altogether limiting undesirable phenomena of detachment between the metal reinforcement structure and the resilient material. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0014] The invention will now be described, purely by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the annexed plate of drawings, in which: [0015] FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrate successive steps of a method for the construction of a covering material of the type described herein; and [0016] FIG. 4 illustrates schematically, in a partially cut-away view, the characteristics of the material described herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0017] FIG. 1 of the annexed plate of drawings illustrates, as representing one of the initial steps of the method described herein, the step of providing a structure made of a metal material represented typically by a network, lattice or grid 1 of metal material. [0018] Even though this choice is not imperative, the choice of reticular structures consisting of a deformable metal material, i.e., structures presenting qualities of ductility and malleability, is believed to be amply preferable. A currently preferred material is represented by aluminium. The values of mass per unit area of the network, fabric or lattice-like structure range preferably between 250 and 1250 g/m.sup.2 approximately, a particularly preferred value being around 750 g/m.sup.2. Continue reading... Full patent description for Laminar covering material Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Laminar covering material patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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