权利要求：
CA 03122879 2021-06-10 Patent claims:
1. A process for the production of a surface-structured layer material, which comprises a backing layer (1) and a layer (2) of polyurethane connected thereto, wherein a leather, preferably a polished grain leather or a cowhide split leather, a textile fabric, preferably a woven or knitted fabric, a cellulose fibre material, an expanded foam, a leather fibre material or a microfiber fleece is used as the backing layer (1), in particular in fragmented form, and bonded to the layer (2), wherein at least one layer, preferably a single layer of a thermoplastic PU foam, in particular one containing gas bubbles, preferably a PU expanded foam, optionally containing hollow microspheres, and/or a PU foam containing hollow microspheres, is applied to the backing layer (1) as the layer (2), characterised in that the PU foam containing, in particular, gas bubbles, is produced with a PU dispersion mixture, the individual PU dispersions used to produce the PU dispersion mixture exhibiting different softening points in dried state, for the production of the PU dispersion mixture, one or more PU dispersions with heat- activated melt or contact adhesive properties and with a softening point in dried state higher than
4. C, preferably higher than 45 C, in the amount of 18 to 52 % by weight of the finished PU dispersion mixture and one or more PU dispersions without melt or contact adhesive properties and with a softening point higher than 95 C, preferably higher than 125 C, in the amount of 39 to 73 % by weight of the final PU dispersion mixture, are mixed, ¨ the PU dispersion mixture for the layer (2) is applied to the backing layer (1) with a thickness that, in dried state, ranges between 0.075 to 0.450 mm, preferably between 0.150 and
0.280 mm, before or at the same time as a structuring of the PU foam, an additional layer (3) of a non- foamed PU dispersion, representing a mixture of several PU dispersions, is applied to the layer (2) , wherein the additional layer (3), which is built up with, optionally aliphatic, polyether, polyester and/or polycarbonate polyurethane, has a thickness of 0.015 to 0.060 mm, preferably 0.020 to 0.045 mm, after the solidification or drying, has a hardness greater than 70 Shore A, is not adhesive at temperatures of 125 to 165 C and is optionally not thermoplastic. ¨ in that the layer (2) is brought to a temperature of 110 to 165 C, preferably 120 to 155 C, with the layer (3) for structuring, in that the cut-to-size and stamped parts (30) or the backing layer (1) are loaded during structuring, in particular to compensate for thickness variations in the backing layer (1) and to fully Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-10 CA 03122879 2021-06-10 press the PU foam into the recesses of the mould (4) and to anchor it in the backing layer (1), by means of a pressure-elastic base part (10) which is at least as large as the part to be structured, and the backing layer (1), the additional layer (3) and the layer (2) are pressed together and bonded, by means of applying a contact pressure of 4 to 48 kg/cm2, preferably of 18 to 25 kg/cm2, and are structured with a mould (4), wherein the dried layer (2) is simultaneously or together with the additional layer (3) subjected to pressure with the structured mould (4) and a structuring is formed or stamped on the surface of the layer (2) and the additional layer (3) applied to the layer (2), wherein the layer (2) remains thermoplastic and the layer (2) and the additional layer (3), which is thinner and harder than the layer (2), cannot be separated after three-dimensional structuring has taken place, but can still be stamped several times or can be additionally structured with other stampings.
2. Process, according to claim 1, characterised in that the layer (2), after being applied to the backing layer (1) and before structuring, is dried to a water content of less than 1.5% by weight, preferably less than 0.5% by weight, in particular until it is free of water, and/or an aqueous PU dispersion mixture, based on aliphatic polyether and/or polyester and/or polycarbonate polyurethane, is used to produce the PU foam, and/or the PU dispersions are selected in such a manner that the PU dispersion mixture has thermoplastic properties after drying and also after any under-cross linking that may take place, and/or the PU dispersion mixture used to form the PU foam contains 65 to 91% by weight - based on the total weight of the PU dispersion mixture - of PU dispersions, each of which contains 35 to
5.% by weight, based on the weight of the relevant PU dispersion, of solids, and/or ¨ the polyurethane of the PU dispersions used, which have heat-activated adhesive properties, has an at least partially linear and/or at least partially crystalline structure and/or is thermoplastic, and/or the composition of the PU dispersion mixture is selected in such a manner that the layer (2), after drying and structuring, has a hardness ranging between 28 and 75 Shore A, preferably between 28 and 68 Shore A, in particular between 30 and 60 Shore A, and/or the PU foam for the layer (2) is produced or composed in such a manner that the layer (2) has a density of 0.80 to 1.05 g/cm3 in its dried or almost water-free state, and/or between 1 and 5% by weight of hollow microspheres and/or thermoplastic particles are Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-10 CA 03122879 2021-06-10 added to the PU dispersion mixture for the layer (2), which form hollow microspheres, with a diameter of up to 40 pm, preferably between 20 and 40 pm, during the structuring, or at the temperature for structuring, in the layer (2).
3. The process, according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the PU foam is produced by means of introducing a gas or gas bubbles, preferably air or nitrogen, into the PU dispersion or the PU dispersion mixture, wherein so much gas is introduced or driven into one litre of the PU dispersion or PU dispersion mixture that one litre takes up a volume of 1.10 to 1.70 I, preferably 1.20 to 1.50 I. 4. The process, according to one of the claims 1 to 3, characterised in that ¨ moulds (4) made of textile material, preferably woven, knitted or net- like materials, or moulds with mould surfaces made of metallic fibres and/or threads or moulds made of paper coated with plastic with a structured surface or moulds produced by 3D printing processes or from low-melting metal alloys or surface-structured moulds, made of silicone rubber compounds or silicone resin, which have a Shore A hardness of 25 to 98, whose density is optionally over 1.15 g/cm3 and which are optionally condensation- or addition-cross-linked, are used as moulds, and/or silicone rubber or textile material (4), which is applied to or fixed on a metal plate (20), wherein, if necessary, needle-like or mandrel-like extensions or webs, with a diameter or width of 0.8 to 1.5 mm, preferably with a tapering cross-sectional surface, which penetrate the silicone rubber material or the textile fabric, or project into the structural cavities thereof, extend from the .. metal plate (20), are used as materials for a mould, and/or a PU foam is produced or used from the PU dispersions which, after drying, can be thermoplastically surface-structured. 5. The process, according to one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, the PU foam is sprayed onto the backing layer (1), in particular airless, or is applied in the screen-printing process, or with at least one roller or a scraper, in the same thickness, - wherein the backing layer (1) is cut or stamped into pre-cut parts or cut-to-size parts (30) before or after application of the PU foam, in particular after drying thereof, and the coated pre-cut parts or cut- to-size parts (30) are subjected to stamping or structuring under pressure and temperature, and/or a microfiber fleece is used as the backing layer (1), the spaces between the fibres of the fleece are at least partially filled with coagulated or foamed plastic foam, preferably polyurethane- based.
6. The process, according to one of the claims 1 to 5, characterised in that, before the Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-10 CA 03122879 2021-06-10 surface of the layer (2) of PU foam is structured on the structuring mould (4), the additional layer (3), optionally having a different colour from the layer (2), is formed from a non-foamed PU dispersion, preferably a PU dispersion based on polyether polycarbonate or polyester, or a PU dispersion mixture of this type, in a thickness of 0.015 to 0.060 mm, preferably 0.020 to 0.045 mm. which contains at most 1.5% by weight, preferably a maximum of 0.5 % by weight of water, in particular, is dried in an anhydrous state, has no adhesive properties, at least up to a temperature of 110 C, and is solidified and/or cross-linked to such an extent that it can be removed from the structured mould (4) without sticking to it, and in that this layer (3), which is located on the mould (4) heated to a temperature of 90 to 145 C, is brought into contact with the layer (2), is pressurized and bonded to the layer (2), during the simultaneously occurring structuring, this layer (3) advantageously having a Shore A hardness of 45 to 95, after the structuring.
7. The process, according to one of the claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the additional layer (3) is applied to the layer (2), whereby, prior to the structuring of the layer (2) with a mould (4), the additional layer (3) of a PU dispersion or PU dispersion mixture, optionally having a .. different, preferably greater hardness and/or different colour, is applied directly to the layer (2), and bonded thereto, in the course of the structuring, the additional layer (3) being formed by an non-foamed PU dispersion or PU dispersion mixture, and being applied in such a thickness that, after drying, results in a thickness ranging between 0.015 and 0.060 mm, preferably 0.020 to 0.045 mm, optionally being dried to a water content of less than 1.5 % by weight, preferably a maximum of 0.5 % by weight of water, in particular achieving a water-free state.
8. The process, according to one of the claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the mould (4) is heated to a temperature of 110 to 165 C for structuring, a pressing or contact duration of 2 to 18 s being observed for a heated mould (4), and/or the layer (2), with the layer (3), is brought to a temperature of 110 to 165 C, in particular 120 to
15. C, e.g., with IR radiation, and is pressurised and structured with a mould (4) that is optionally heated to 110 to
14. C, and/or in the course of structuring, perforations are formed in the layer (2) and the additional layer (3), which extend up to or into the backing layer (1), but do not penetrate the latter.
9. The process, according to one of the claims 1 to 8, characterised in that ¨ additives, preferably gas-filled hollow microspheres and/or pigments and/or polyacrylate dispersions and/or silicones and/or delustering agents and/or thickeners and/or cross-linking agents and/or foaming aids and/or flame retardants, are added to the PU dispersion or PU Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-10 CA 03122879 2021-06-10 dispersion mixture, and/or the PU foam is subjected to heat and pressurized in such a manner that the layer (2), after the structuring with the mould (4), has a density of 0.80 to 1.050 g/cm3, preferably 0.810 to 0.970 g/cm3, and/or - cross-linking agents are added to the PU dispersion mixture in an amount of up to 4.2% by weight, preferably from 0.9 to 3.2% by weight, based on the total weight of the PU foam, and it continues to be thermoplastic, even after structuring under pressure and temperature, and/or 8 to 25% by weight, based on the total weight of PU foam, of a 40 to 60% acrylate dispersion, is added to the PU dispersion mixture, and/or - PU dispersion mixtures are used for the production of the PU foam, in which, after a drying process, a dried layer of the PU foam produced therewith, with an area of 1 m2 and a thickness of 1.0 mm, weighs 0.800 to 1.050 kg before being structured, and/or format parts or stamped parts are separated and stamped from a large-area backing layer (1) coated with PU foam, and/or - the layer (2) and the additional layer (3) are formed with a different composition and/or pigmentation or colour, in particular with a different content of cross- linking agent, and exhibit thermoplastic behaviour, and/or a colour layer or finishing layer (6) is applied to the additional layer (3), before the structuring, this colour or finishing layer advantageously having been printed on and, if it is the .. case, formed by a plastic film adhering to the layer (3) or capable of being bonded thereto, or a colour layer or coloured patterns or encompassing colour patterns, and/or stamped parts or format parts (30) machined out of the layer material, structured under the predetermined pressure and temperature, and/or for the stamping or structuring operation, a layer or plate or a base part (10) of pressure- .. elastic material is disposed between a plunger (12) and the stamped part (30) or the backing layer (1) of the layer material (1), the pressure-elastic material being an elastomeric foam, a pressure pad filled with gas or liquid, having flexible walls or a felt or non-woven material impregnated with elastomers, e.g., silicone rubber, and/or in that the pressure-elastic base part (10), advantageously in the form of a pressure plate, .. is fastened to a plunger (12), and/or in that the pressure-elastic material of the base part (10) can be compressed by more than 4% at a pressure of 10 kg/cm2, and/or in that the base part (10) has a thickness of 1.5 to 12 mm, preferably 1 to 8 mm, and/or in that the base part (10) resets in less than 4 s after a pressure relief, and/or Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-10 CA 03122879 2021-06-10 in that the Shore A hardness of the base part (10) is comparable with the Shore A hardness of the mould (4), and/or the structure-forming surface area of the mould (4) is formed to be air- permeable or gas- permeable, in directions parallel to its surface, and is advantageously formed with textile material or threads or fibres.
10. The process, according to one of the claims 1 to 9, characterized in that before the layer (2) of PU foam is applied to a backing layer (1) made out of textile fabric, e.g. woven or knitted fabric, a thin layer (5) of optionally foamed soft PVC or foamed or non-foamed cross-linkable PU dispersion or non-foamed, cross-linkable PU dispersion mixture of aliphatic and/or aromatic polyurethane, based on polyester or polyether of a cross-linkable polyacrylate dispersion, which represents a connecting layer for the layer (2) of PU foam to be applied to the layer (1), has a thickness of 0.25 to 0.40 mm, after drying.
11. A layer material, comprising a backing layer (1) and a layer (2) of polyurethane bonded thereto, wherein the backing layer (1), which is present, in particular, in fragmented form, is leather, preferably grain leather, in particular polished grain leather or cow split leather, a textile fabric, preferably a woven or knitted fabric, a cellulose fibre material, an expanded foam, a leather fibre material or a microfiber fleece, produced by a process according to one of Claims 1 to 10, characterised in that the layer (2) is formed by at least one layer, preferably a single layer, of a non-cross-linked or under-cross-linked PU foam, in particular a PU foam containing gas bubbles, preferably a PU expanded foam, optionally containing hollow microspheres, or a PU foam containing hollow microspheres, which optionally has a maximum water content of 1.5 % by weight, preferably 0.5 % by weight, in particular water-free, the layer (2) having a softening point above 90 C and being adhesive at a temperature of 110 to 165 C, having thermoplastic properties and being flowable and deformable under pressure, and an additional layer (3) of a non-foamed PU dispersion is applied to the layer (2) and is bonded to this layer (2) and on the surface of the layer (2) and the additional layer (3) applied to the layer (2) a structuring is formed or stamped, respectively.
12. Layer material, according to claim 11, characterized in that, - the PU foam of the layer (2) has a specific weight of 0.800 to 1.050 g/cm3, and/or the layer (2) of PU foam has a thickness of 0.075 to 0.450 mm, preferably 0.150 to 0.280 mm, and/or Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-10 CA 03122879 2021-06-10 the polyurethanes used for the layer (2) are aliphatic polyurethanes, based on polyether or polyester or polycarbonate, and/or the layer (2) of PU foam contains pigments and/or cross-linking agents and/or polyacrylates and/or hollow microspheres and/or delustering agents, and/or - the layer (2) of solidified, dried PU foam has a Shore A hardness of 28 to 68, and/or the layer (2) contains 0 to 4.2% by weight, based on the total weight of the layer (2), of cross-linking agents, and/or the layer (3) is not adhesive or not yet adhesive at temperatures of 125 to
16. C, and/or perforations are formed in the layer (2) and in the additional layer (3) of the layer material.
13. Layer material, according to claim 11 or 12, characterised in that, in the case of an backing layer (1) formed by a textile fabric, a thin layer (5) of foamed soft PVC or cross-linked foam layer of a PU dispersion or polyacrylate dispersion is formed between the textile fabric and the layer (2), and the layer (5) has a thickness of 0.25 to 0.45 mm, and represents a connecting layer for the layer (2) of PU foam that is to be applied, the two layers (2, 5) optionally forming a .. total thickness of 0.30 to 0.60 mm. 14. Layer material, according to one of the claims 11 to 13, characterised in that the thin, heat-structural, non-foamed layer (3) applied or bonded to the layer (2) and made of a PU dispersion or PU dispersion mixture, based on an aliphatic polyether polycarbonate and/or polyester, has a thickness of 0.0150 to 0.060 mm, preferably 0.020 to 0.0350 mm, wherein a structure corresponding to the structural stamping in the layer (3) is formed or stamped in the layer (2) of PU foam, and wherein the layer (3) advantageously has a greater Shore A hardness than the layer (2), or a hardness of more than 70 Shore A, preferably between 78 and 98 Shore A, and optionally contains 1 to 4 % by weight of polysiloxanes. 15. Layer material, according to one of the claims 11 to 14, characterised in that, ¨ the grain leather is a full-grain cowhide, preferably cow split leather, calf leather, goat leather, lamb leather, water buffalo leather, pig leather, sheep leather or kangaroo leather, in which the grain layer is advantageously mechanically removed by at least 5 %, and/or the fibres of the microfiber fleece consist of polyester or polyamide, the cavities between the fibres are impregnated or filled, respectively, with a plastic, preferably polyurethane-based or polyester-based, which has a foam structure or a coagulated microcell structure, and/or the leather fibre material contains between 13 and 48% by weight of synthetic fibres, and/or the PU foam has a microcellular structure and/or is permeable to air and/or has a water Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-10 CA 03122879 2021-06-10 vapour permeability of over 0.50 mg/cm2/h, preferably over 0.12 mg/cm2/h, according to DIN EN ISO 14268, and/or - the layer material is in the form of a stamped part or pre-cut part (30), and/or - the backing layer (1) is air-permeable, in particular in directions parallel to its surface, and is advantageously formed with textile material or fibres or threads. 16. Articles produced using a layer material, according to one of the claims 11 to 15, such as meter goods, pre-cut parts, stamped parts, shoe parts, sports and work shoes, shoe insoles, bags, leather goods, steering wheel covers, upholstery covers, interior wall linings of vehicles and seat covers for motor vehicles, wherein the surface of the articles and the layer (2) and the layer (3) .. have a structural stamping.
17. Article, according to claim 16, characterised in that - the layer (2) and, as the case may be, also the additional layer (3) bonded to the layer (2) or applied to the layer (2) is thermoplastically deformed or structured and deformable and structurable, by applying heat and pressure, and/or - a colour or finishing layer (6), which is preferably of a different colour and is formed from a coloured PU mixture and, if appropriate, has the same thickness and/or hardness and consistency as the additional layer (3), is applied to stamped or format pre-cuts (30) on the additional layer (3). Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-10