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 top surface, 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 floor covering comprising: 
 a top surface;    a cushion layer arranged below said top surface and having a bottom-most embossed surface defining a plurality of channels that are separated one from another by a plurality of lands; and    a repositionable, pressure sensitive adhesive layer having an initial tack that is applied onto said bottom-most surface so that said cushion layer (i) adheres to a surface thereby to hold said cushion layer in place after application of a pressure, and (ii) allows removal of said cushion layer from said surface absent a substantial diminution of said initial tack.    
   
   
       2 . A self-adhesive, loose-lay floor tile according to  claim 1  wherein said cushion layer is divided so as to define a plurality of removable pad segments.  
   
   
       3 . A floor covering according to  claim 1  wherein said cushion layer is divided by a grid of intersecting incisions so as to form a plurality of removable pad segments.  
   
   
       4 . A floor covering according to  claim 3  wherein said grid of intersecting incisions provides for the separation and discrete removal of at least one of said removable pad segments.  
   
   
       5 . A floor covering according to  claim 4  comprising a backing layer disposed below said top surface that defines a bottom-most surface and said a cushion layer defines a top surface and a bottom surface wherein said top surface is adhered to said bottom-most surface of said backing layer with a cured adhesive having an initial tack.  
   
   
       6 . A floor covering according to  claim 4  wherein each of said pad segments comprises a plurality of lands that are located between and separate a plurality of channels that are arranged in regular intervals.  
   
   
       7 . A floor covering according to  claim 1  wherein said cushion layer is about 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm thick.  
   
   
       8 . A floor covering according to  claim 7  wherein said cushion layer is divided by a grid of intersecting incisions so as to form a plurality of removable pad segments each including a plurality of lands that are located between and separate a plurality of channels that are arranged in regular intervals with those portions of said cushion that define said channels having a thickness of no more than one millimeter.  
   
   
       9 . A floor covering according to  claim 1  wherein said curable adhesive layer is pressure-sensitive and selected from the group consisting of rubber-type adhesives, acrylic adhesives, including e-beam curable acrylic adhesives, vinyl acetate-type adhesives, urethane-type adhesives, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       10 . A floor covering comprising: 
 a top surface;    a divided cushion layer arranged below said top surface and having a bottom-most embossed surface defining a plurality of intersecting channels that are separated one from another by a plurality of lands wherein each of said lands comprises a top surface; and    a repositionable, pressure sensitive adhesive layer having an initial tack that is applied said top surface so that said divided cushion layer (i) adheres to a surface thereby to hold said cushion layer in place after application of a pressure, and (ii) allows removal of said cushion layer from said surface absent a substantial diminution of said initial tack.    
   
   
       11 . A floor covering according to  claim 10  comprising a backing layer disposed below said top surface that is selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, rubber, linoleum, reinforced resins, vinyl composite, or other resilient materials, carpet, stones, ceramic, metals, glass, textiles, wood, composites, mineral composites, veneers, laminates, and polymeric resins.  
   
   
       12 . A floor covering according to  claim 10  wherein said divided cushion comprises a foamable material selected from the group consisting of 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.  
   
   
       13 . A floor covering according to  claim 10  wherein said adhesive comprises a adhesive material made of at least one of PVC-type adhesives, rubber-type adhesives, acrylic adhesives, including e-beam curable acrylic adhesives, vinyl acetate-type adhesives, and urethane-type adhesives.  
   
   
       14 . A floor covering according to  claim 10  wherein said adhesive is curable.  
   
   
       15 . A floor covering according to  claim 10  wherein said adhesive is noncurable.  
   
   
       16 . A method for adjusting a surface contour of a self-adhesive, loose-lay tile comprising the steps of; 
 (A) forming a divided cushion layer on a bottom surface of a self-adhesive, loose-lay tile so as to define a plurality of removable pad segments; and    (B) removing at least one of said pad segments thereby forming a void in said divided cushion layer.    
   
   
       17 . A method for adjusting a surface contour of a self-adhesive, loose-lay tile comprising the steps of; 
 (A) forming a divided cushion layer on a bottom surface of a self-adhesive, loose-lay tile so as to define a plurality of removable pad segments;    (B) removing at least one of said pad segment thereby forming a void in said divided cushion layer; and    (C) positioning said at least one pad segment atop a portion of said divided cushion layer.    
   
   
       18 . A method for adjusting a surface contour of a self-adhesive, loose-lay tile comprising the steps of; 
 (A) forming a divided cushion layer on a bottom surface of a self-adhesive, loose-lay tile so as to define a plurality of removable pad segments; and    (B) positioning said at least one pad segment atop a portion of said divided cushion layer.    
   
   
       19 . A floor covering comprising: 
 a top surface;    a cushion layer arranged below said backing layer and having a bottom-most plane surface; and    a repositionable, pressure sensitive adhesive layer having an initial tack that is applied onto said bottom-most surface so that said cushion layer (i) adheres to a surface thereby to hold said cushion layer in place after application of a pressure, and (ii) allows removal of said cushion layer from said surface absent a substantial diminution of said initial tack.    
   
   
       20 . A floor covering according to  claim 19  wherein said adhesive is curable.  
   
   
       21 . A floor covering according to  claim 19  wherein said adhesive is noncurable.  
   
   
       22 . A floor covering comprising: 
 a ceramic layer;    a cushion layer arranged below said ceramic layer and having a bottom-most plane surface wherein said cushion layer is 0.2 millimeters thick; and    a repositionable, pressure sensitive adhesive layer having an initial tack that is applied onto said bottom-most surface so that said cushion layer (i) adheres to a surface thereby to hold said cushion layer in place after application of a pressure, and (ii) allows removal of said cushion layer from said surface absent a substantial diminution of said initial tack.    
   
   
       23 . A floor covering comprising: 
 a wood layer;    a cushion layer arranged below said wood layer and having a bottom-most plane surface wherein said cushion layer is 0.2 millimeters thick; and    a repositionable, pressure sensitive adhesive layer having an initial tack that is applied onto said bottom-most surface so that said cushion layer (i) adheres to a surface thereby to hold said cushion layer in place after application of a pressure, and (ii) allows removal of said cushion layer from said surface absent a substantial diminution of said initial tack.