Removable and relayable floor covering

Abstract

A removable interior building surface-covering section member such as a floor tile, sheet, or plank is provided that can be laid without the use of adhesives and which can be removed and relayed repeatedly. The removable floor section member has multiple layers including an upper wear layer, an intermediate cushion layer and a lower adhesive layer. The lower adhesive layer may have alternating raised and lowered channels to increase adhesion moisture conditions.

1 . A self-adhesive, loose-lay installed floor surface covering comprising; 
 an upper wear surface layer;    a cushioned backing adhered to the upper wear surface layer to increase the surface covering's evenly distributed contact with a sub-floor, and thereby increase the leveling adhesion of the tile onto the sub-floor; and    a cured adhesive applied onto the cushioned backing's lower surface that adheres to a sub-floor to hold the floor in place during use and that adheres onto a surface with very slight pressure on its own and that allows removal and repositioning with its original tack in place, without additional glue residue, damage done to the subfloor or delaminating of the substrate so that it can be removed and relayed repeatedly.    
   
   
       2 . The floor surface covering of  claim 1  wherein the upper surface may be comprised of floor tile, sheet, or plank material types including those made from polyvinyl chloride, rubber, linoleum, reinforced resins, vinyl composite, or other resilient materials, carpet, stones, ceramic, metals, glass, textiles, wood, composites, veneers, and laminates and polymeric resins  
   
   
       3 . The floor surface covering of  claim 1  wherein the cushioned backing may be comprised of a soft material layer including foamable material such as chemically blown polyvinyl chloride plastisols/organosols, acrylics, polyurethane foams, rubber foams, froth foams such as polyvinyl chloride plastisol, acrylics, melt processed foams such as polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, ethylene vinyl acetate, metallocene polyolefins, elastomeric polyolefin copolymers.  
   
   
       4 . The floor surface covering of  claim 1  wherein the lower surface may comprise a curable or cross-linked adhesive material made of PVC-type adhesives, rubber-type adhesives, acrylic adhesives, including e-beam curable acrylic adhesives, vinyl acetate-type adhesives, urethane-type adhesives, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       5 . The floor surface covering of  claim 1  wherein the lower adhesive layer has moisture release grid channels onto the backing layer to enhance its adhesion to a sub-floor and provide moisture-release enhancement.  
   
   
       6 . The floor surface covering of  claim 1  wherein the lower adhesive layer includes vertical indentations and protrusions to reinforce the surface tension of the floor surface covering's adhesion on the sub-floor.  
   
   
       7 . The floor surface covering of  claim 1  wherein the lower adhesive layer comprises a self-adhesive surface covering that can be removed from a subflooring surface with a pull parallel to the vertical structural lining on the foam backing layer because of the air channels on the grids and which stays intact and is not easily displaced with a horizontal or diagonal pull force.  
   
   
       8 . The floor surface covering of  claim 1  wherein the flooring can be removed and cleaned with water and still retain its original tack for repositionability and reinstallation.  
   
   
       9 . A method of forming a self-adhesive, loose-lay installed floor surface covering comprising the steps of; 
 applying a cushioned backing adhered to an upper wear surface to increase the surface covering's evenly distributed contact with a sub-floor, and thereby increase the leveling adhesion of the tile onto the floor; and    applying a cured adhesive onto the thin cushioned backing to increase the surface tension of the floor adhesion and hold it in place during use and that adheres onto a surface with very slight pressure and that allows repositioning with its original tack in place, without additional glue residue or delaminating of the substrate so that it can be removed and relayed repeatedly.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  including the step of applying the cushion backing includes applying it to the lower surface of floor tiles, sheets, and planks or sections of varying sizes and shapes and surface types including those made from polyvinyl chloride, rubber, linoleum, polymeric resins, reinforced resins, vinyl composite, or other resilient materials, carpet, stones, ceramic, metals, glass, textiles, wood, composites thereof, veneers thereof, and laminates thereof.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 9  including the step of applying the cushion backing includes applying a cushion backing comprised of soft material layer including foamable material.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the step of applying the cushion backing includes applying chemical blown polyvinyl chloride plastisols/organosols, acrylics, rubber foams, polyurethane foams, froth foams such as polyvinyl chloride plastisol, acrylics, melt processed foams such as polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, ethylene vinyl acetate, metallocene polyolefins, or elastomeric polyolefin copolymers.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 9  including the step of applying the lower surface comprises applying a curable or cross-linked adhesive material made of PVC-type adhesives, rubber-type adhesives, acrylic adhesives, including e-beam curable acrylic adhesives, vinyl acetate-type adhesives, urethane-type adhesives, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 9  including the step of applying the lower surface comprises applying a lower adhesive layer that has moisture release grid channels onto the backing layer to enhance its adhesion to a sub-floor and provide moisture-release enhancement.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 9  including the step of applying the lower surface comprises applying a lower layer that includes vertical indentations and protrusions to reinforce the surface tension of the floor surface covering's adhesion on the sub-floor.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 9  including the step of applying the lower surface comprises applying a self-adhesive surface covering that can be removed from the surface with a pull parallel to the vertical structural lining on the foam backing layer because of the air channels on the grids and which stays intact and is not easily displaced with a horizontal or diagonal pull force.