Decorative panel and method for manufacturing decorative panels

Abstract

A decorative panel includes one or more substrate layers and a top layer. The top layer has at least a decorative layer and a wear layer provided above the decorative layer. At least a first substrate layer has a plurality of recesses, indentations and/or spaces, or wherein the decorative panel further has a corrugated layer positioned on the bottom side of one of the substrate layers, such as the lowermost substrate layer.

1 .- 81 . (canceled) 
     
     
         82 . A decorative panel comprising at least a first and a second substrate layer and a top layer, said top layer comprising at least a decorative layer and a wear layer provided above said decorative layer,
 wherein said second substrate layer is positioned between said first substrate layer and said decorative layer,   wherein both said first substrate layer and said second substrate layer extend uninterruptedly in a horizontal direction parallel to the plane of the decorative panel,   wherein at least a first substrate layer comprises a plurality of recesses, indentations and/or spaces defining a structure with a repeating pattern in a first and a second direction of the plane of the decorative panel,   wherein said structure is on the surface of said first substrate layer that is directed away from said second substrate layer,   wherein the material of said second substrate layer has a composition different from the composition of the material of said first substrate layer at least in that the composition of the first substrate layer comprises plasticizer at a rate of 5 phr or more, while the second substrate layer comprises less or no plasticizer.   
     
     
         83 . The decorative panel of  claim 82 , wherein the compositions of said first substrate layer and said second substrate layer are further different at least in that the compositions of the first substrate layer and the second substrate layer both comprise thermoplastic material and filler materials,
 wherein the weight ratio filler material: thermoplastic material is higher in said second substrate layer, at least  1 . 5  times higher than in said first substrate layer.   
     
     
         84 . The decorative panel of  claim 82 , wherein the compositions of said first substrate layer and said second substrate layer are further different at least in that the composition of the second substrate layer comprises thermoplastic material and filler materials, while the composition of the first substrate layer is free from filler materials, though comprises the same thermoplastic material as said second substrate layer. 
     
     
         85 . The decorative panel of  claim 82 , wherein the compositions of said first substrate layer and said second substrate layer are further different at least in that the material of said first substrate layer has a glass transition temperature that is lower than the glass transition temperature of the material of said second substrate layer. 
     
     
         86 . The decorative panel of  claim 82 , wherein the compositions of said first substrate layer and said second substrate layer are further different at least in that the composition of the first substrate layer comprises an elastomer, chosen from the list of a rubber, an EPDM, a polyethylene, a vinyl chloride copolymer, a thermoplastic polyester and a thermoplastic polyurethane. 
     
     
         87 . The decorative panel of  claim 82 , wherein the compositions of said first substrate layer and said second substrate layer are further different at least in that the composition of the first substrate layer is such that it has a Shore hardness, that is at least 5 lower than the Shore hardness of the second substrate layer,
 wherein the Shore hardness is measured in accordance with ISO 48-4:2018.   
     
     
         88 . The decorative panel of  claim 82 , wherein said decorative panel, on at least one pair of opposite edges, is provided with mechanical coupling parts,
 wherein said mechanical coupling parts allow effecting a locking between two of such decorative panels in a vertical direction perpendicular to the plane of the coupled decorative panels, and in a horizontal direction parallel to the plane of decorative panels and perpendicular to the coupled edges.   
     
     
         89 . The decorative panel of  claim 82 , wherein said structure is present on the bottom side of the decorative panel,
 wherein said structure has a shape which is chosen from the group of a serrated shape, a kinked shape, a toothed shape, a honeycomb shape, a grooved shape, a waffle shape, or combinations thereof.   
     
     
         90 . The decorative panel of  claim 82 , wherein said recesses, indentations and/or spaces of the first substrate layer result in a weight reduction of at least 10% in comparison to the substrate layer having no recesses, indentations and/or spaces. 
     
     
         91 . A method for manufacturing decorative panels having the characteristics of  claim 82 , comprising the steps of:
 providing a first substrate layer,   providing a second substrate layer,   providing at least a decorative layer and a wear layer onto said second substrate layer,   wherein said wear layer is located above said decorative layer, and   wherein said first substrate layer is provided with a plurality of recesses, indentations and/or spaces.   
     
     
         92 . The method of  claim 91 , wherein said first substrate layer is provided with a plurality of recesses, indentations and/or spaces by means of a mechanical embossing step,
 wherein said embossing entails a displacement of material of said first substrate layer,   wherein said displacement results at least in an increase of the thickness of said first substrate layer.   
     
     
         93 . The method of  claim 91 , wherein providing the first substrate layer and/or the second substrate layer is performed by an extrusion operation. 
     
     
         94 . The method of  claim 91 , wherein providing the second substrate layer is performed by an extrusion operation, and
 wherein providing the first substrate layer is performed by applying molten substrate material onto the second substrate layer.   
     
     
         95 . The method of  claim 94 , wherein said molten substrate material is applied onto said second substrate layer as an uninterrupted layer, followed by embossing said uninterrupted layer. 
     
     
         96 . The method of  claim 95 , wherein said molten substrate material is applied onto said second substrate layer as an interrupted layer, as a plurality of strips.