Durable wood-plastic composite flooring for trailers

Abstract

A composite wood flooring system for a vehicular trailer floor comprising: a plurality of wood boards, each wood board comprising a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface; and a filled thermoplastic composite layer comprising a thermoplastic polymer and a discontinuous filler, the thermoplastic layer being substantially bonded to the top surface of each wood board.

1 . A composite wood flooring system for a vehicular trailer floor comprising: 
 a plurality of wood boards, each said wood board comprising a top surface and a bottom surface opposite said top surface; and    a filled thermoplastic composite layer comprising a thermoplastic polymer and a discontinuous filler, said thermoplastic layer being substantially bonded to said top surface of each said wood boards.    
     
     
         2 . The flooring system according to  claim 1  wherein the said wood is selected from the group consisting of: hardwood and softwood.  
     
     
         3 . The flooring system according to  claim 1 , wherein said wood boards extend longitudinally along the length of said vehicular trailer floor, each said wood board comprising a top surface, a bottom surface opposite said top surface, and a first side surface and second side surface extending between said top surface and said bottom surface, and a board width that is less than the lateral width of said vehicular trailer floor, each said wood board being formed of a plurality of solid wood segments joined to one another by coupling portions.  
     
     
         4 . The flooring system according to  claim 1 , wherein said filler is at least one selected from the group consisting of: lignocellulosics, natural plant fibers, milled fibers, short fibers, and minerals.  
     
     
         5 . The flooring system according to  claim 1 , wherein said thermoplastic polymer comprises at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of: polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, poly-vinyl-chloride, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, styrene-acrylonitrile, low density polyethylene, high density polyethylene and high impact polystyrene.  
     
     
         6 . The flooring system according to  claim 4 , wherein said lignocellulosic is at least one selected from the group consisting of: flour, fiber, chips, flakes, dust, particles, shavings, slivers, and strands.  
     
     
         7 . The flooring system according to  claim 3 , wherein said thermoplastic layer is additionally bonded to at least one surface selected from the group consisting of: said first side surface, said second side surface, and said bottom surface of said floor boards.  
     
     
         8 . The flooring system according to  claim 7 , wherein said thermoplastic layer, when bonded to said first side surface or said second side surface of said wood boards, is shaped to form shiplaps of said wood boards.  
     
     
         9 . The flooring system according to  claim 3 , wherein said plurality of wood boards are arranged such that at least one of said first side surface and said second side surface of each of said wood boards approximates one of said first side surface and said second side surface of adjacent boards or a mating portion of a metallic component of said vehicular trailer to form a continuous trailer floor having an upper thermoplastic surface and a bottom surface for extending for the lateral width of said vehicular trailer floor, a joint region being formed at locations at which said first side surface or said second side surface of adjacent wood boards approximate one another.  
     
     
         10 . The flooring system according to  claim 1 , further comprising an undercoating disposed about said bottom surface of each of said wood boards for moisture protection.  
     
     
         11 . A composite board for a load carrying floor comprising a lignocellulosic particulate filled thermoplastic polymer composite layer bonded to a non-veneer wood layer, wherein said lignocellulosic particulate is discontinuous.  
     
     
         12 . The composite board according to  claim 11 , wherein said thermoplastic polymer composite layer and said wood layer are adhesively bonded to each other.  
     
     
         13 . The composite board according to  claim 11 , wherein said thermoplastic polymer comprises at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of: polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, poly-vinyl-chloride, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, styrene-acrylonitrile, low density polyethylene, high density polyethylene and high impact polystyrene.  
     
     
         14 . The composite board according to  claim 11 , wherein said lignocellulosic particulate is a wood particulate, which is at least one selected from the group consisting of; flour, fiber, chips, flakes, dust, particles, shavings, slivers and strands.  
     
     
         15 . The composite board according to  claim 11 , wherein said thermoplastic polymer composite comprises one or more additional fillers selected from the group consisting of: milled fibers, short fibers and minerals.  
     
     
         16 . The composite board according to  claim 11 , further comprising an undercoating disposed about at least the surface of said non-veneer wood layer opposite to said composite layer for moisture protection.  
     
     
         17 . A composite wood flooring system for a vehicular trailer floor comprising: 
 a plurality of wood boards, each said wood board comprising an unexposed top surface and a bottom surface opposite said top surface; and    a thermoplastic layer comprising an exposed first surface and an unexposed second surface, wherein said unexposed second surface of said thermoplastic layer is substantially bonded to said unexposed top surface of each said wood boards and said exposed first surface of said thermoplastic layer comprises a rough texture.    
     
     
         18 . The flooring system according to  claim 17 , wherein said thermoplastic layer comprises: a thermoplastic polymer and a discontinuous filler.  
     
     
         19 . The flooring system according to  claim 18 , wherein said thermoplastic layer is shaped to form shiplaps of boards.  
     
     
         20 . The flooring system according to  claim 19 , further comprising a polymeric undercoating disposed about said bottom surface of each wood board.