Rigid non-transparent photoluminescent floor material

Abstract

A rigid, non-transparent photoluminescent tile having photoluminescent material exposed on a top surface of the tile, wherein the photoluminescent material, including photoluminescent particles and chips, illuminates when the ambient light is removed.

1 . A rigid photoluminescent tile comprising: 
 a tile base having a top surface;    a thermoplastic binder system within said tile base, the thermoplastic binder system being 5-50 wt % of the total weight of the tile;    a non-transparent inorganic filler within said tile base; and    a photoluminescent material within the tile base and being exposed on said top surface of said tile base, wherein the combined weight of the inorganic filler and the photoluminescent material is 50-95 wt % of the total weight of the tile.    
   
   
       2 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 1  wherein the combined weight of the inorganic filler and the photoluminescent material forms 60-90 wt % of the total weight of the tile.  
   
   
       3 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 1  wherein the combined weight of the inorganic filler and the photoluminescent material forms 70-85 wt % of the total weight of the tile.  
   
   
       4 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 1  wherein the inorganic filler is limestone.  
   
   
       5 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 1  wherein the photoluminescent material is distributed evenly throughout the entire tile base.  
   
   
       6 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 5  wherein the photoluminescent material comprises a plurality of fine photoluminescent particles.  
   
   
       7 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 6  wherein the photoluminescent particles comprise 10-90 wt % of the total weight of the tile.  
   
   
       8 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 7  wherein the photoluminescent particles comprise about 20 wt % of the total weight of the tile.  
   
   
       9 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 5  wherein the photoluminescent material comprises a plurality of photoluminescent chips, each of said photoluminescent chips includes a thermoplastic binder system and photoluminescent particles, wherein the thermoplastic binder system is 5-50 wt % of the weight of each individual chip.  
   
   
       10  The photoluminescent tile of  claim 9  wherein the photoluminescent chips further include a non-transparent inorganic filler, and the combined weight of the inorganic filler and the photoluminescent particles is 50-95 wt % of the weight of each individual chip.  
   
   
       11 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 9  wherein the photoluminescent chips further include a plurality of non-photoluminescent color pigments.  
   
   
       12 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 9  wherein the photoluminescent chips are about 2-20 mils in dimension.  
   
   
       13 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 9  wherein the photoluminescent chips are about 2-10 mils in dimension.  
   
   
       14 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 9  wherein the photoluminescent chips comprise about ¼ to ¾ of the total weight of the tile.  
   
   
       15 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 14  wherein the photoluminescent chips comprise about ⅓ of the total weight of the tile.  
   
   
       16 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 9  wherein the photoluminescent particles are 10-90 wt % of the weight of each individual photoluminescent chip.  
   
   
       17 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 16  wherein the photoluminescent particles is about 20 wt % of the weight of each individual photoluminescent chip.  
   
   
       18 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 1  the photoluminescent material is embedded in a portion of the tile base on and near the top surface to form a wear layer.  
   
   
       19 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 18  wherein said photoluminescent material covering at least 10% of the surface area on the top surface.  
   
   
       20 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 18  wherein the wear layer is 10-20% of the overall thickness of the tile.  
   
   
       21 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 20  wherein the wear layer is 2-20 mils in thickness.  
   
   
       22 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 20  wherein the wear layer is 2-10 mils in thickness.  
   
   
       23 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 18  wherein the photoluminescent material comprises a plurality fine photoluminescent particles.  
   
   
       24 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 18  wherein the photoluminescent material comprises said photoluminescent chips include a thermoplastic binder system and photoluminescent particles, wherein the thermoplastic binder system comprises 5-50 wt % of the weight of each chip.  
   
   
       25 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 24  wherein the photoluminescent chips further comprises a non-transparent inorganic filler and the combined weight of the inorganic filler and the photoluminescent particles is 50-95 wt % of the weight of each chip.  
   
   
       26 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 24  wherein the photoluminescent chips are about 2-20 mils in dimension.  
   
   
       27 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 24  wherein the photoluminescent chips are about 2-10 mils in dimension.  
   
   
       28 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 24  wherein the photoluminescent particles comprise about 10-90 wt % of the weight of each individual photoluminescent chip.  
   
   
       29 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 28  wherein the photoluminescent particles comprise about 20 wt % of the weight of each individual photoluminescent chip.  
   
   
       30 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 18  wherein the wear layer is a layer separately processed and laminated on top of the non-photoluminescent tile base.  
   
   
       31 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of non-photoluminescent color pigments.  
   
   
       32 . A photoluminescent tile comprising 
 a non-photoluminescent substrate;    a wear layer having a top surface and a bottom surface, said bottom surface being affixed to the substrate,    a thermoplastic binder system within said wear layer, said thermoplastic binder system being about 5-50 wt % of the total weight of the wear layer;    a non-transparent inorganic filler within said wear layer,    a photoluminescent material within said wear layer and being exposed on the top surface of said wear layer, wherein the combined weight of the inorganic filler and the photoluminescent material is about 50-95 wt % of the total weight of the wear layer.    
   
   
       33 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 32  wherein the substrate is a non-photoluminescent tile base comprising, of the total weight of the tile base, 5-50 wt % thermoplastic binder system and 50-95 wt % non-transparent inorganic filler.  
   
   
       34 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 32  wherein the combined weight of the inorganic filler and the photoluminescent material is 60-90 wt % of the total weight of the wear layer.  
   
   
       35 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 32  wherein the combined weight of the inorganic filler and the photoluminescent material is 70-85 wt % of the total weight of the wear layer.  
   
   
       36 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 32  wherein the photoluminescent material comprises a plurality of fine photoluminescent particles.  
   
   
       37 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 36  wherein the photoluminescent particles comprise 10-90 wt % of the total weight of the wear layer.  
   
   
       38 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 37  wherein the photoluminescent particles comprise about 20 wt % of the total weight of the wear layer  
   
   
       39 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 32  wherein the photoluminescent material comprises a plurality of photoluminescent chips, said photoluminescent chips include a thermoplastic binder system and photoluminescent particles, wherein the thermoplastic binder system comprises about 5-50 wt % of the weight of each individual chip.  
   
   
       40 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 39  wherein the photoluminescent chips further comprise a non-transparent inorganic filler, wherein the combined weight of the inorganic filler and the photoluminescent particles forms 50-95 wt % of the weight of each chip.  
   
   
       41 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 39  wherein the photoluminescent chips are about 2-20 mils in dimension.  
   
   
       42 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 39  wherein the photoluminescent chips are about 2-10 mils in dimension.  
   
   
       43 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 39  wherein the photoluminescent chips comprise about ¼ to ¾ of the total weight of the wear layer.  
   
   
       44 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 43  wherein the photoluminescent chips comprise about ⅓ of the total weight of the wear layer.  
   
   
       45 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 39  wherein the photoluminescent particles comprise about 10-90 wt % of the weight of each individual photoluminescent chip.  
   
   
       46 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 45  wherein the photoluminescent particles comprise about 20 wt % of the weight of each individual photoluminescent chip.  
   
   
       47 . The photoluminescent tile of  claim 38  further comprising a plurality of non-photoluminescent color pigments.  
   
   
       48 . A floor comprising: 
 a plurality of rigid photoluminescent tiles, said photoluminescent tiles including a tile base having a top surface, a thermoplastic binder system within said tile base, the thermoplastic binder system being 5-50 wt % of the total weight of the tile; a non-transparent inorganic filler within said tile base; and a photoluminescent material within the tile base and being exposed on said top surface of said tile base, wherein the combined weight of the inorganic filler and the photoluminescent material is 50-95 wt % of the total weight of the tile; and    a plurality of rigid non-photoluminescent tile.    
   
   
       49 . The floor of  claim 48  wherein the photoluminescent tiles form a pattern.