US 2,006,032,175 · Filed 2005-07-29
The Wood-Plastic Hybrid Flooring That Won't Swell When Wet
Imagine a flooring plank that looks and feels like real wood but is actually made from a blend of plastic and wood fibers mixed together. This patent describes how to make planks that resist moisture damage—so they won't warp or swell up if water spills on them, making them perfect for kitchens and bathrooms where traditional wood would fail.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The patent covers a specific recipe for flooring planks made by combining 30-95% plastic-based polymers with 5-70% natural wood fiber or flour, engineered to swell less than 5% when exposed to moisture according to industry tests. What's protected here is the exact composition range, the moisture-resistant properties it creates, and the method of manufacturing planks with these controlled material ratios and performance specifications.
Why it matters
This patent represents a fundamental shift in residential flooring: creating a product that delivers wood's aesthetic appeal without its vulnerability to moisture damage. For manufacturers like Mannington Mills, owning this composition formula blocks competitors from making identical hybrid planks, protecting market share in the growing segment of moisture-resistant, wood-look alternatives to solid hardwood.
Real-world use
When you install this type of plank in a bathroom or kitchen and accidentally splash water on it, the flooring stays stable and doesn't cup or swell like traditional wood flooring would over time.
Original USPTO abstract
A plank is described wherein the plank comprises a core, and optionally, a print layer, and optionally an overlay. The core includes from about 30 wt % to about 95 wt % at least one polymeric material, by weight of the core, and from about 5 wt % to about 70 wt % of least one natural fiber or flour, by weight of the core, wherein the core includes a top surface and a bottom surface, and opposing sides, wherein said plank is substantially moisture resistant, having a swelling property of from about 0.5% to about 5% by NALFA Thickness Test Section 3.2 LF 01-2003 standard, and wherein said plank includes a bow of from about 0.5% to about 4%. In addition, a method of making the plank is further described.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 2,006,032,175
- Filing date
- 2005-07-29
- Grant date
- Application — not yet granted
- Assignee
- Mannington Mills, Inc.
- Inventor(s)
- CHEN HAO A., JUDD RICHARD
- CPC class
- B32B27/20
Want to file your own patent?
If you're designing a new flooring product or material blend, check our free patent scanner to see what composition territories are already claimed in home-improvement flooring.
Free patentability scan