Flooring panel equipped with quick-release adhesive sheet

Abstract

A flooring panel ( 50 ) is provided with a quick-release adhesive sheet ( 10 ) such that the flooring panel ( 50 ) can be quickly attached to a support surface and removed therefrom. More particularly, the flooring panel ( 50 ) includes a top floor layer ( 52 ) attached or laminated to the adhesive sheet ( 10 ), which underlies the floor layer ( 52 ). The top flooring layer ( 52 ) can be any type of flooring material, such as vinyl flooring, real or engineered wood flooring, etc. (FIG. 8 ).

We claim: 
     
         1 . A flooring panel comprising an upper floor layer having a upper side and a lower side; an elastic layer having an upper side, which is attached to said lower side of said upper floor layer, and a lower side, which is located opposite said upper side of said elastic layer and which defines a lower surface of said elastic layer, said elastic layer being made from a foam material and including a plurality of open holes formed in said lower side of said elastic layer, said open holes being sized and shaped for applying suction against a support surface when said flooring panel is applied thereto; and a sealing material applied to the substantially entire surface of said lower side of said elastic layer for enhancing the suction applied by said holes to the support surface. 
     
     
         2 . The flooring panel of  claim 1 , wherein at least some of said holes retain hollow spaces therein so as to apply the suction to the support surface. 
     
     
         3 . The flooring panel of  claim 2 , wherein said sealing materials does not completely fill said at least some of said holes so as to maintain said hollow spaces. 
     
     
         4 . The flooring panel of  claim 3 , wherein said sealing material is configured to form a substantially air-tight seal around outer edges of said at least some of said holes when said flooring panel is applied against the support surface. 
     
     
         5 . The flooring panel of  claim 4 , wherein said sealing material includes polyurethane. 
     
     
         6 . The flooring panel of  claim 1 , wherein said holes are randomly distributed throughout the substantially entire surface of said lower side of said elastic layer. 
     
     
         7 . The flooring panel of  claim 6 , wherein said holes have random sizes. 
     
     
         8 . The flooring panel of  claim 1 , wherein said foam material is made from a composition including ethylene vinyl acetate, rubber, plastic, urethane, polyurethane, polyethylene, polystyrene, vinyl, silicone, latex rubber or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The flooring panel of  claim 8 , wherein said composition includes a mixture having ethylene vinyl acetate, polyethylene and/or polyurethane. 
     
     
         10 . The flooring panel of  claim 9 , wherein said mixture includes ethylene vinyl acetate in about 25%-35% by weight, polyethylene in about 25%-35% by weight and polyurethane in about 5%-10% by weight. 
     
     
         11 . The flooring panel of  claim 10 , wherein said mixture further includes a filler, a foaming agent, a crosslinking agent, a foaming promoter and/or a lubricating agent. 
     
     
         12 . The flooring panel of  claim 1 , further comprising a bonding layer provided between said upper floor layer and said elastic layer for fixedly attaching said upper floor layer to said elastic layer. 
     
     
         13 . The flooring panel of  claim 12 , further comprising a protective layer removably attached to said lower side of said elastic layer. 
     
     
         14 . The flooring panel of  claim 13 , wherein said upper floor layer includes one of a vinyl tile, a carpet tile, a hard wood panel, an engineered wood panel, a laminate, a rubber tile, a vinyl composition tile, a decorative panel, a wood plastic composite panel, a rigid vinyl tile, a sheet vinyl tile, a multilayer flooring tile, a stone tile, a carpet roll, a non-polyvinyl chloride tile, or a plank. 
     
     
         15 . A panel assembly comprising an upper layer having a upper side and a lower side; an elastic layer having an upper side, which is attached to said lower side of said upper layer, and a lower side, which is located opposite said upper side of said elastic layer and which defines a lower surface of said elastic layer, said elastic layer being made from a foam material and including a plurality of open holes formed in said lower side of said elastic layer, said open holes being sized and shaped for applying suction against a support surface when said panel assembly is applied thereto; and a sealing material applied to the substantially entire surface of said lower side of said elastic layer for enhancing the suction applied by said holes to the support surface. 
     
     
         16 . The panel assembly of  claim 15 , wherein at least some of said holes retain hollow spaces therein so as to apply the suction to the support surface. 
     
     
         17 . The panel assembly of  claim 16 , wherein said upper layer includes a wall panel or a flooring panel. 
     
     
         18 . The panel assembly of  claim 16 , wherein said upper layer includes a vinyl tile, a carpet tile, a hard wood or engineered wood panel, a laminate, a rubber tile, a vinyl composition tile, a decorative panel, a wood plastic composite, a rigid vinyl tile, a sheet vinyl tile, a multilayer flooring tile, a stone tile, a carpet roll, a non-polyvinyl chloride tile or a plank. 
     
     
         19 . An adhesive layer comprising an elastic layer having a first side, and a second side, which is located opposite said first side of said elastic layer and which defines a surface of said elastic layer, said elastic layer being made from a foam material and including a plurality of open holes formed in said lower side of said elastic layer, said open holes being sized and shaped for applying suction against a support surface when said adhesive layer is applied thereto; a sealing material applied to the substantially entire surface of said lower side of said elastic layer for enhancing the suction applied by said holes to the support surface; and a bonding layer applied to said first side of said elastic layer. 
     
     
         20 . The adhesive layer of  claim 19 , wherein at least some of said holes retain hollow spaces therein so as to apply the suction to the support surface.