Bonding plastic floor pieces together

Abstract

A method of bonding plastic floor pieces together includes several steps. One step involves laying plastic floor pieces near each other in order to produce a seam between neighboring plastic floor pieces. Another step involves cutting a groove into and along a part or more of the seam. Yet another step involves filling the groove with a bonding compound that can be composed of, among other constituents, methyl methacrylate.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of bonding plastic floor pieces together, comprising:
 laying plastic floor pieces adjacent each other to produce a seam between the plastic floor pieces;   cutting a groove into and along at least a part of the seam; and   filling the groove with a bonding compound comprising methyl methacrylate.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising applying tape on top surfaces of the plastic floor pieces and at both sides of the groove before filling the groove with the bonding compound. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising smoothing out an exposed surface of the bonding compound once the bonding compound is filled in the groove and before the bonding compound is cured. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising removing a portion of the bonding compound protruding above top surfaces of the plastic floor pieces once the bonding compound is at least partly cured, wherein an exposed surface of the bonding compound after removal is substantially flush with the top surfaces of the plastic floor pieces. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising allowing the bonding compound to cure in the groove. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein cutting the groove comprises cutting the groove via a power groover. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the groove is cut part way into the seam in a direction generally orthogonal with top surface planes of the plastic floor pieces, leaving an extent of the seam uncut, and the bonding compound is filled in the uncut extent of the seam before the bonding compound is cured. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the groove has a depth that measures approximately three-fourths of the overall thickness of the plastic floor pieces at the seam, and the uncut extent of the seam constitutes the remaining extent of the groove. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the groove cut into and along at least part of the seam is a U-shaped groove. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein filling the groove comprises dispensing the bonding compound in the groove via a dispenser gun. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the dispenser gun has a pair of cartridges and the bonding compound comprises a resin part with the methyl methacrylate and an activator part, the resin part being held in one of the pair of cartridges and the activator part being held in the other of the cartridges, the resin part and the activator part mixing together as the bonding compound is being dispensed in the groove. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plastic floor pieces are polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sheets. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bonding compound forms a chemical weld comprising intermixed materials of the plastic floor pieces. 
     
     
         14 . A method of bonding plastic floor pieces together, comprising:
 laying plastic floor pieces adjacent each other to produce a seam between the plastic floor pieces;   cutting a groove into and along at least part of the seam, wherein the groove is cut part way into the seam in a direction generally orthogonal with top surface planes of the plastic floor pieces, leaving an extent of the seam uncut; and   dispensing a bonding compound into the groove, the bonding compound comprising a resin part with methyl methacrylate and an activator part, the resin and activator parts mixing together as the bonding compound is being dispensed into the groove, the bonding compound dispensed into the uncut extent of the seam.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein dispensing the bonding compound is performed via a dispenser gun, the dispenser gun having a first cartridge and a second cartridge, the resin part held in the first cartridge and the activator part held in the second cartridge. 
     
     
         16 . A method of bonding plastic floor pieces together, comprising:
 laying plastic floor pieces adjacent each other to produce a seam between the plastic floor pieces;   providing a groove along at least a part of the seam, wherein the groove is provided part way into the seam in a direction generally orthogonal with top surface planes of the plastic floor pieces, leaving an extent of the seam without a groove;   using a dispenser gun to dispense a bonding compound into the groove and into the extent of the seam without a groove, the dispenser gun having a first cartridge and a second cartridge, the bonding compound comprising a resin part and an activator part, the resin part held in the first cartridge and the activator part held in the second cartridge, the resin and activator parts mixing together as the bonding compound is being dispensed into the groove and into the extent of the seam without a groove; and   allowing the bonding compound to cure in the groove and in the extent of the seam without a groove.