FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the installation of plastic composite flooring, and in particular, to a portable method and apparatus that applies heat and pressure to plastic composite floorings to fold such into provisions, such as, but not limited to, stair noses, baseboards, quarter rounds, T-moldings, and endcaps.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Installation of flooring requires an installer to adapt to the particular substrate that forms the floor foundation. Typically, an installer must accommodate various provisions which include stair noses, baseboards, quarter rounds, T-moldings, endcaps, and the like. Stair noses are provisions that are installed at the edge of stair treads above and at the edge of the flooring. Baseboards are a narrow wooden board running along the base of an interior wall, typically installed above flooring. Quarter-rounds are a convex folding with a cross section in the form of a quarter circle; it is typically used as a decorative build-up element at the lower edge of a baseboard to hide any gaps between the baseboard and a floor. Trim folding is a general term used for corner moldings, accent molding, endcaps and the like, and is used to create added detail or cover up gaps; it is typically installed above the flooring.

The similarities in all the above provisions are that they are installed separate from the flooring, which can cause a mismatch with flooring. For instance, these provisions may be used to fill gaps between flooring and walls junctions. The provisions may not match the rest of the flooring material, or the estimator may have under/over ordered such pieces, adding to the burden of the installation. In many instances, the provisions are constructed of a different material, such as solid milled wood, plaster, plastic, or reformed wood, which can lead to different textures, visual appearance, wear patterns, and an unhappy consumer. It is desired at times to provide a seamless transition from the floor to the wall junction, which is not possible with conventional flooring.

Flooring, as used herein, is a general term for a permanent covering of a floor, or for the work of installing such a floor covering. It also generally describes any finish material applied over a floor structure to provide a walking surface. The most common flooring materials include wood, laminate, tile and vinyl. The choice of flooring material is affected by factors such as cost, endurance, noise insulation, comfort and cleaning effort. Some types of flooring should not be installed below grade, such as laminate and hardwood, unless a barrier material is put in place to avoid potential damage from moisture.

Luxury vinyl tile and luxury vinyl plank are usually less than 4 mm in thickness. LVT and LVP are soft and pliable, and will not be forgiving with subfloor imperfections. They are available in click lock, loose lay and glue down versions.

One of the latest trends in home flooring design is rigid core flooring. Many homeowners are choosing this stylish and affordable option to give their home a new look. There are two main types of rigid core flooring: stone plastic composite and wood plastic composite. A stone plastic composite (SPC) vinyl and wood plastic composite (WPC) vinyl flooring is manufactured with a wood-plastic composite backing instead of a solid PVC backing. The backing combines recycled wood pulp and plastic composites to form a bond of strength and stability. It is then topped with a standard vinyl top layer.

The basics about stone plastic composite (SPC) vinyl flooring and wood plastic composite (WPC) vinyl flooring is that it is constructed of layers, which helps it provide superior comfort and stain resistance. Generally, there are four layers. The top “wear” layer which protects and guards against scratches, dents, stains, and general wear and tear. The second printed vinyl layer, which lies just below the wear layer. This layer has imprinted design and colors. Under the second layer is the waterproof core, which is the biggest benefit of SPC and WPC flooring, as it won't buckle, ripple, or show any other sign of liquid damage due to moisture. The final layer contains a padded underlayment, making it ideal for floating installation. Rigid core as used herein is identified as WPC, SPC, or densified foam core.

There are a variety of benefits associated with SPC and WPC flooring. They both have a completely waterproof core, thereby helping to prevent warping when exposed to moisture. Additionally, their waterproof property allows for this type of flooring to be used in areas of the home where hard flooring and other moisture-sensitive flooring types are not typically recommended, such as laundry rooms, basements, bathrooms, and kitchens. Both are resistant to scratches and stains, as well as major impacts due to their density. Generally, SPC and WPC flooring comes in thickness of 3.2 mm to 12 mm. A thicker flooring option can make up for slight flaws in subfloor defections. They hold up well to wear and tear, even in high-traffic areas of the home. They are also easy to install, making them a good choice for “DIY” homeowners. They are made to be installed on top of just about any type of subfloor or existing floor, and do not require adhesives. Lastly, there is a large variety of stylish options, as they come in just about any color and pattern, since the design is simply printed onto the vinyl layer. For example, one can get WPC or SPC flooring that looks like tile, stone, or hardwood flooring.

One beneficial aspect of SPC and WPC flooring is its ability to conform. The present invention discloses a method of applying heat and pressure to a plastic composite flooring system to fold such into provisions, such as stair noses, baseboards, quarter rounds, T-moldings, endcaps, or the like.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,561,369 illustrates a molding profile having interlocking profiles to transition from a first flooring surface to a second flooring surface.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,590,266 discloses a machine and method for installing curved hardwood flooring. The machine maintains the wood grain in the direction of any bends required to conform to a curved structure. The method has a first step to establish the desired floor boundary and anchor a plurality of pressure units in place at appropriate intervals to accurately represent the desired shape of the curved hardwood floor to be installed. A second step is to make appropriate adjustments to the pressure units and position the hardwood flooring in the machine. A third step is to activate the pressure units to bend the flooring into the desired contour, hold securely, make adjustments if necessary, and nail the hardwood flooring to the subfloor. Then, repeat steps 2 and 3 until the hardwood floor is completed.

U.S. Patent Publication No. 2006/0032175 discloses a method of making flooring products. Disclosed is a polymeric thermoplastic material plank that can be rectangular, triangular, square, hexagonal and octagonal, or have any number of sides. Also, the floor panel can have other geometrical designs, such as curves.

U.S. Pat. No. 10,138,639 illustrates a molding assembly for use in bridging a gap between floor covering materials.

Therefore, there is a need for a machine and method of installing flooring wherein the flooring can be folded to conform to contours during installation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A method of applying heat and pressure to a plastic composite flooring system to fold into provisions, such as stair noses, baseboards, quarter rounds, T-moldings, endcaps, or the like is disclosed. The method includes incorporating a thermal insulation layer between the plastic composite flooring and a heat generator, applying heat until reaching a heat transmission coefficient to allow the plastic composite flooring to become malleable, removing the heat, applying pressure to the heated section of the plastic composite flooring to form into a desired shape using a positive and negative embossing die fold on the top and bottom heated section of the plastic composite flooring, and removing the embossing die-molds once the plastic composite flooring has cooled down to its initial temperature.

Accordingly, it is an objective of the instant invention to provide a plastic composite flooring system that can be folded and conformed by heat and pressure into provisions such as, but not limited to, stair noses, baseboards, quarter rounds, T-moldings, and endcaps.

It is another objective of the instant invention to facilitate the installation of LVP, LVT, SPC and WPC flooring over or into provisions to create seamless transitions in flooring, wall junctions, floor junctions, or the like, where otherwise different materials are used.

Another objective of the invention is to eliminate the need for stocking various provisions by providing a portable folding device that can form the various provisions at the installation location.

It is also an objective of the instant invention to further include the step of applying sufficient pressure to the positive and negative embossing die until both dies are locked in place and the plastic composite flooring is formed into a desired shape.

It is a further objective of the instant invention to further include the step of calculating the external bending curve length of the desired shape on the mold and heating the plastic composite flooring to a length of at least the external bending curve length.

It is yet another objective of the instant invention to further include the step of increasing an intended heated section of plastic composite by at least ten percent of the external bending curve length to accommodate for rounded finishes on the plastic composite flooring.

It is still another objective of the instant invention to provide a predetermined gap space within the thermal insulation layer to allow for proper heat transfer from the heat generator to the plastic composite flooring.

It is another objective of the instant invention to facilitate the installation of SPC and WPC flooring in traditional installations, as well as those situations where the floor to be covered has a nontraditional shape; that is, it is not square or rectangular, or where a substantial portion of its boundaries are not straight lines.

Other objectives and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with any accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. Any drawings contained herein constitute a part of this specification, include exemplary embodiments of the present invention, and illustrate various objects and features thereof.

