JP7575909B2 - Floor tiles for sports facilities and their installation structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to floor tiles for sports facilities that are laid on the floor surfaces of sports facilities.

Flooring materials are laid on the floor surfaces of various sports facilities, such as indoor sports facilities such as gymnasiums and fitness gyms, and outdoor sports facilities such as outdoor tennis courts and outdoor futsal courts. Wood-based flooring materials such as plywood are generally used as flooring materials for indoor sports facilities.
In sports facilities, in order to make the floor surface suitable for various sports, a separate resin floor sheet is sometimes laid on the existing floor surface to be used as a temporary court. For example, a resin floor sheet may be laid on top of the wooden floor material (floor surface) of a gymnasium to play sports such as volleyball.
A known example of such a resin floor sheet is a long floor sheet (product name "Color Sheet") manufactured by Molten Corporation (Non-Patent Document 1).

The plastic floor sheet laid on the existing floor in this way is removed after the event is over, and the sports facility is returned to its original floor surface.

Molten Corporation 2020 General Catalog 2020 CATALUUE (Published January 21, 2020) Pages 192 and 193

The floor sheet of Non-Patent Document 1 is long, so it is stored in a roll. The rolled floor sheet is transported and laid before the start of the competition, but since it is in a roll, it must be transported and laid by multiple people, which requires labor and construction time. In addition, removal after the competition is also laborious because it requires the work of peeling the floor sheet off the floor surface, and furthermore, it is difficult to reuse a floor sheet that has been used once, so it must be disposed of as waste. Therefore, it is required to be able to be easily transported, laid, and removed. Hereinafter, transport, laying, and removal are referred to as "constructibility."
Meanwhile, flooring materials for sports facilities are required to be easy to install and also to be safe to prevent injuries to athletes. For example, flooring materials for sports facilities are required to have grip properties that prevent athletes' soles from slipping when dry (when there are no water droplets such as sweat attached to them). However, athletes may sweat during competition, and the sweat may cause the soles of their feet to slip. Generally, as described above, sweat is wiped off with a mop or the like during competition, but if the sweat that has fallen on the flooring material is difficult to see, it is difficult to find the sweat that needs to be wiped off. For this reason, flooring materials that make it easy to see whether or not sweat is attached are required. Hereinafter, the ability to easily see whether sweat is attached is referred to as "sweat-removing ability."
In addition, depending on the sport, when an athlete slides, parts of the athlete's body, such as knees or elbows, may rub against the surface of the flooring as they move. There is also a demand for flooring that is less likely to shift from the installation location due to such rubbing motion.
The above-mentioned safety includes good sweat absorption and the flooring material being less likely to slip, but the present invention is particularly focused on sweat absorption.

A first object of the present invention is to provide a floor tile for sports facilities which is easy to install and has excellent sweat-wicking properties.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a floor tile installation structure in which floor tiles having excellent sweat wicking properties are installed without being easily displaced.

The floor tile of the present invention has a sheet-like tile body and an adhesive part provided on the back surface of the tile body, the tile body having, from the front surface side, a decorative layer made of synthetic resin and a resin layer, the front surface of the tile body exhibits a single color with an L value of 42 to 68 , and the gloss of the front surface measured at an incident angle of 60° is 4.3 to 9.9 , and the floor tile can be attached to and detached from the floor surface of a sports facility via the adhesive part.

In a preferred floor tile of the present invention, the surface roughness Rz of the tile body is 44 μm to 56 μm .
In a preferred floor tile of the present invention, the tile body has, in order from the surface side, a transparent protective layer, the decorative layer, and the resin layer, the peripheral portion of the tile body is chamfered, the peripheral portion of the protective layer faces downward along the chamfered portion, and the end face of the resin layer is exposed .
In a preferred floor tile of the present invention, the resin layer comprises a foamed resin layer.
In a preferred floor tile of the present invention, the suction portion is elongated in a planar view extending in a first direction of the tile body, and a plurality of the elongated suction portions are arranged side by side approximately parallel to the second direction of the tile body.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a floor tile laying structure.
The floor structure of the present invention is a floor structure in which a plurality of any of the above-mentioned floor tiles are laid side by side on the floor surface of a sports facility, and the plurality of floor tiles are laid side by side on the floor surface with the edges of adjacent floor tiles abutting each other.
The floor structure of the present invention is a floor structure in which a plurality of floor tiles having the elongated suction portion are laid side by side on the floor surface of a sports facility, and the plurality of floor tiles are laid side by side on the floor surface so that the extension direction of each elongated suction portion is perpendicular between adjacent floor tiles.

The floor tile of the present invention can be easily laid and, furthermore, has excellent sweat absorption properties, so that sweat adhering to the surface can be easily identified and reliably wiped off.
Furthermore, the floor tile installation structure of the present invention has excellent sweat absorbing properties and the floor tiles are less likely to shift position during a game.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a floor tile of the present invention. Rear view of the same floor tile. FIG. 3 is a schematic enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2 . 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a floor tile having a tile body having the layer structure of the first example (cut at a location similar to line III-III in FIG. 2). 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a floor tile having a tile body having a layer structure according to the second example (cut at a location similar to line III-III in FIG. 2). 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a floor tile having a tile body having a layer structure according to a third example (cut at a location similar to line III-III in FIG. 2). 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a floor tile having a tile body having a layer structure according to a fourth example (cut at a location similar to line III-III in FIG. 2). 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a floor tile having a tile body having a layer structure according to a fifth example (cut at a location similar to line III-III in FIG. 2). FIG. 2 is a further enlarged cross-sectional view showing a portion of a floor tile according to one embodiment having chamfered edges. A further enlarged cross-sectional view with a portion of a floor tile having a different chamfered edge shape being omitted. A plan view of a laying structure in which multiple floor tiles are laid on a floor surface. 12 is a schematic enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line XII-XII in FIG. 11 . 1 is a schematic enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state in which the edge of a floor tile is raised. 1 is a reference side view showing how to measure the sagging of a floor tile. FIG. 1 is a reference diagram showing a method for evaluating sweat absorption properties of floor tiles and the like according to the embodiments.

The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In this specification, the "front surface" of a layer or member refers to the surface away from the floor surface on which the floor tile is laid, and the "back surface" refers to the opposite surface (the side closer to the floor surface on which the floor tile is laid). A plan view refers to viewing the floor tile from a direction perpendicular to the front or back surface of the floor tile.
In this specification, a numerical range represented by "lower limit X to upper limit Y" means a range from lower limit X to upper limit Y. When a plurality of such numerical ranges are separately described, it is understood that any lower limit and any upper limit can be selected to set "any lower limit to any upper limit."
It should also be noted that the dimensions, such as thickness and size, in each drawing are different from the actual dimensions.

[Floor tile overview]
Fig. 1 is a plan view of a floor tile A, and Fig. 2 is a back view of the floor tile A. The plan view is a view from the front side of the floor tile A, and the back view is a view from the back side. Fig. 3 is a schematic enlarged cross-sectional view of the floor tile A cut in the thickness direction. Note that the layer structure of the tile body 1 is not shown in Fig. 3 (the same applies to Fig. 4).
As shown in FIG. 1, the floor tile A for sports facilities of the present invention is formed in a sheet shape having a substantially square shape in plan view. However, the sheet-shaped floor tile A may be formed in a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, a substantially hexagonal shape in plan view, or the like (not shown). Specific dimensions of the floor tile A having a substantially square or rectangular shape in plan view include, for example, a length in the first direction x a length in the second direction = 300 mm to 1000 mm x 300 mm to 1000 mm, preferably a length in the first direction x a length in the second direction = 500 mm to 950 mm x 500 mm to 950 mm, more preferably a length in the first direction x a length in the second direction = 700 mm to 900 mm x 700 mm to 900 mm, and the like. In this specification, the "first direction" is a direction perpendicular to the second direction in the plane of the floor tile A.
If the length in the first direction and the length in the second direction are equal to or greater than the lower limit, a floor tile A that is unlikely to shift from the installation location can be provided even if a player moves while rubbing the floor tile. If the length is equal to or less than the upper limit, the weight of each floor tile is relatively light, and a floor tile A that is easy to install can be provided.

Preferably, floor tile A is approximately square in plan view, i.e., the length in the first direction is equal to the length in the second direction. By forming floor tile A in an approximately square shape in plan view, multiple floor tiles A can be arranged continuously without gaps. Floor tiles A that are approximately square in plan view are less likely to shift during vigorous movements during sports, particularly in sports that require vigorous movements such as volleyball. Furthermore, floor tiles A that are approximately square in plan view can be laid freely in a checkerboard or flush pattern, as described below.

The floor tile A of the present invention has flexibility. The degree of flexibility of the floor tile A is, for example, such that the floor tile A can be wound in a roll around a core having a diameter of 10 cm with the back side of the floor tile A facing the core. For example, the sagging amount of the floor tile A is 0.5 mm to 10.0 mm, preferably 1.0 mm to 7.0 mm, in a 23°C environment. When the floor tile A has a sagging amount within the above range, the edge of the floor tile A is prevented from lifting after installation, and the floor tile A is suitable for peeling off.
However, the amount of sagging of floor tile A can be measured as follows.
- Method for measuring the amount of sagging of floor tile A As shown in Fig. 14(a), left and right measurement bases and a ruler are prepared as measuring tools. The bases are 20 cm high and made of a rectangular parallelepiped with an area sufficiently larger than that of the sample piece, and are configured as a pair on the left and right. The right base can be moved toward and away from the left base.
Floor tile A is cut to a width of 5 cm and a length of 30 cm to obtain a sample piece, which is then placed in a temperature-controlled room at 23° C. and a humidity of 50% RH and left for 24 hours.
After leaving the sample piece for 24 hours, place the 10 cm long left side of the sample piece on the left pedestal and the 20 cm long right side of the sample piece on the right pedestal with the surface side facing up at 23°C (see FIG. 1(b)). As shown in FIG. 1(c), a fixing weight is placed on the left surface of the sample piece, and the right pedestal is moved away from the left pedestal to be removed. After 30 seconds, the drooping amount of the right side of the sample piece is measured with a ruler. The drooping amount is the straight line length between the surface of the left pedestal and the lower right corner of the sample piece. The drooping amount measured in this way is the drooping amount of the floor tile A.

The floor tiles A in the form of individual sheets as in the illustrated example are stored and transported in a state in which a plurality of them are stacked together or in a state in which each tile is individually wound into a roll.
The total thickness of the floor tile A is not particularly limited, and is, for example, 1 mm to 10 mm, and preferably 1.5 mm to 8 mm. If the thickness of the floor tile A is too small, it tends to be soft, and if the thickness is too large, it tends to be hard, but if it is within the above range, the floor tile A will have appropriate cushioning properties and a hardness suitable for peeling. Furthermore, if the thickness of the floor tile A is equal to or less than the upper limit, the weight per floor tile A will not be too heavy, improving handling and allowing the floor tile to be easily laid by one person.

The weight of floor tile A is preferably 1 kg/piece to 4 kg/piece, and more preferably 1.5 kg/piece to 3 kg/piece. If the weight is equal to or less than the upper limit, the tile can be easily transported, laid, and removed by one person, improving workability. If the weight is equal to or greater than the lower limit, the weight of the entire tile will firmly fix the adhesive part on the back surface to the floor surface when floor tile A is laid on the floor, preventing floor tile A from shifting or edges from floating even during strenuous activities such as sports, providing excellent safety.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the floor tile A of the present invention has a tile body 1 and an adsorption portion 2.
The suction portion 2 is provided on the back surface of the tile body 1. The suction portion 2 is provided for adsorbing and fixing the floor tile A to the floor surface.
It is preferable that the peripheral edge 1a of the tile body 1 is chamfered as shown in FIG.

[Tile body]
The tile body 1 is a main component constituting the floor tile A, and has the same flexibility as the floor tile A.
The surface of the tile body 1 presents a single color. "The surface of the tile body 1 presents a single color" means that a person with normal vision recognizes one type of color when viewing the tile body 1 in a plan view.
The type of color is not particularly limited, and may be any one of orange, green, blue, gray, red, yellow, brown, etc., among which any one of orange, green, blue, gray, and red is preferable. The L value of the surface of the tile body 1 is 30 to 80. By having an L value in this range, a floor tile A having excellent sweat absorption properties can be provided. In particular, it is more preferable that the tile body 1 is configured so that the surface exhibits an orange color with an L value in the range of 30 to 80, since this has excellent sweat absorption properties and looks beautiful in terms of design.
The L value is an index representing the lightness (brightness) of a color, and refers to the L value in the L*a*b* color system. The smaller the L value, the darker and blacker the color, and the larger the L value, the brighter and whitish the color.
The L value can be determined by selecting three points on the surface of floor tile A, measuring the L value at each point using a spectrophotometer (product name "Spectrophotometer CM-600A" manufactured by Konica Minolta), and then using the average value as the L value of floor tile A.

In addition, the surface of the tile body 1 has a glossiness of 1 to 10. Preferably, the glossiness of the surface of the tile body 1 is 3 to 9, and more preferably 4 to 8. By having a glossiness within this range, when sweat adheres to the surface, it shines and becomes easily noticeable, and a floor tile A with excellent sweat-removing properties can be provided.
The glossiness refers to the glossiness at 60°. The glossiness can be measured, for example, according to Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) Z8741:1997 "Specular Glossiness-Measuring Method". The glossiness can be calculated based on the measurement results of a photodetector installed in the direction of the reflection angle when light is incident on the surface of the tile body 1 at an incident angle of 60°. Examples of such specular glossiness measuring devices include "MultiGloss268" manufactured by Konica Minolta, Inc. and "GlossMeter Model VGP5000" manufactured by Nippon Denshoku Industries Co., Ltd.

The surface roughness Rz of the tile body 1 is 30 μm to 100 μm. By having the surface roughness Rz, it is possible to provide a floor tile A that is less likely to slip on the soles of the feet of the athlete during a competition, and that has appropriate sliding properties even when a part of the athlete's body, such as the knee or elbow, rubs against the surface of the floor tile A when sliding, etc. In addition, by having the surface roughness Rz, it is possible to reduce the glossiness of the surface of the floor tile A and to improve sweat absorption. Preferably, the surface roughness Ra of the tile body 1 is 1 μm to 10 μm.
The surface roughness Rz is the maximum height roughness defined in JIS B 0601 (2001). The surface roughness Ra is the arithmetic mean roughness defined in JIS B 0601 (2001).

In order to give the surface of the tile body 1 a glossiness and surface roughness within the above ranges, fine irregularities (protrusions and recesses) are formed on the surface of the tile body 1. For the sake of convenience, dots are added to the surface of the tile body 1 in Fig. 1 in order to clearly show the irregularities formed on the surface of the tile body 1 in the drawing.
The convex and concave portions are relative parts, and when the concave portion is used as a reference, the part that protrudes from it is the convex portion, or when the convex portion is used as a reference, the part that is recessed from it is the concave portion. The convex and concave portions may be of a fixed shape, but are preferably of an irregular shape. By forming irregular concaves and convex portions on the surface, the concaves and convex portions have no directionality, so that even when a part of the player's body moves while rubbing on the surface of the floor tile A, the directional dependency of the sliding property can be made as small as possible. In addition, by forming irregular concaves and convex portions on the surface, it becomes easier to set the surface roughness and glossiness within the above range.
The term "regular" refers to a state in which multiple convex portions of the same shape and size are regularly arranged in a plan view, or a state in which it is possible to visually confirm that the convex portions form a specific pattern (such as a wood grain pattern) in a plan view. The term "irregular" refers to a state in which multiple convex portions of irregular shapes (such as different shapes and sizes, different shapes and the same size, or the same shape and different sizes) are randomly arranged in a plan view, or a state in which it is not possible to visually confirm that the convex portions form a specific pattern in a plan view.

[Layer structure of tile body]
The layer structure of the tile body 1 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable for the tile body 1 to have a foamed resin layer in order to impart good cushioning properties to the floor tile A.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 8, the tile body 1 has, in this order from the back surface side to the front surface side, a back layer 3, an intermediate base material layer 4, and a front layer 5.
The back layer 3 is a layer that is positioned on the back side of the intermediate substrate layer 4, and the front layer 5 is a layer that is positioned on the front side of the intermediate substrate layer 4.
Examples of the back layer 3 include a back resin layer 32 and a back base material layer 31, and these are laminated by selecting one or more of them. Preferably, the back layer 3 is composed of a back base material layer 31 and a back resin layer 32 laminated in this order from the back surface side to the front surface side.
The surface layer 5 is a layer made of a synthetic resin. Examples of the surface layer 5 include a synthetic resin scratch prevention layer 53, a synthetic resin protective layer 52, a synthetic resin decorative layer 51, and a front resin layer 54, and one or more of these are selected and laminated. Preferably, the surface layer 5 is made of a synthetic resin decorative layer 51 and a scratch prevention layer 53 or a protective layer 52 laminated in this order from the back side to the front side.
The outermost surface of the surface layer 5 constitutes the surface of the tile body 1, and the surface of the tile body 1 (the outermost surface of the surface layer 5) does not have a fiber layer such as pile, but is composed of the surface of a synthetic resin layer.

It is preferable that the back side resin layer 32 and the front side resin layer 54 (resin layer) each independently contain a soft synthetic resin as a main component resin. In particular, the tile body 1 is mainly composed of at least one of the back side resin layer 32 and the front side resin layer 54, which contain a soft synthetic resin as a main component resin. "Mainly composed of a resin layer" means that the weight ratio of the resin layer is large in the total weight of the tile body 1.
In this specification, the soft synthetic resin and the hard synthetic resin refer to the soft plastics and hard plastics described in the plastics terminology of JIS K6900 (1994).

Figures 4 to 8 are enlarged cross-sectional views of floor tiles A having tile bodies 1 with various layer configurations. Plan and back views of these floor tiles A are omitted because they are similar to Figures 1 and 2. Figures 4 to 8 also show cases where the peripheral edge of the tile body 1 is not chamfered and has an angular shape.
The tile body 1 of the first example in Fig. 4 has, in order from the back side to the front side, a back-side base material layer 31, a back-side resin layer 32, an intermediate base material layer 4, a decorative layer 51, a protective layer 52, and a scratch prevention layer 53. These layers are bonded together to form an integrated body. In the example shown in Fig. 4, either the protective layer 52 or the scratch prevention layer 53 may be omitted as necessary. In the example shown in Fig. 4, the back-side base material layer 31 may be omitted as necessary.

The tile body 1 of the second example in FIG. 5 has, in order from the back side to the front side, a back-side substrate layer 31, a first back-side resin layer 321, a second back-side resin layer 322, an intermediate substrate layer 4, a decorative layer 51, a protective layer 52, and a scratch-prevention layer 53. These layers are bonded together to form an integrated body. In the example shown in FIG. 5, either the protective layer 52 or the scratch-prevention layer 53 may be omitted as necessary. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the back-side substrate layer 31 may be omitted as necessary.

The tile body 1 of the third example in FIG. 6 has, in order from the back side to the front side, a first back side resin layer 321, a back side substrate layer 31, a second back side resin layer 322, an intermediate substrate layer 4, a decorative layer 51, a protective layer 52, and a scratch prevention layer 53. These layers are bonded together to form an integrated unit. In the example shown in FIG. 6, either the protective layer 52 or the scratch prevention layer 53 may be omitted, if necessary.

The tile body 1 of the fourth example in FIG. 7 has, in order from the back side to the front side, a back-side substrate layer 31, a back-side resin layer 32, an intermediate substrate layer 4, a front-side resin layer 54, a decorative layer 51, a protective layer 52, and a scratch-prevention layer 53. These layers are bonded together to form an integrated unit. In the example shown in FIG. 7, either the protective layer 52 or the scratch-prevention layer 53 may be omitted as necessary. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the back-side substrate layer 31 may be omitted as necessary. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the front-side resin layer 54 may be omitted as necessary.

The tile body 1 of the fifth example in FIG. 8 has, in order from the back side to the front side, a back-side substrate layer 31, a back-side resin layer 32, an intermediate substrate layer 4, a decorative front-side resin layer 54, a protective layer 52, and a scratch-prevention layer 53. These layers are bonded together to form an integrated unit. In the example shown in FIG. 8, either the protective layer 52 or the scratch-prevention layer 53 may be omitted as necessary. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the back-side substrate layer 31 may be omitted as necessary.

<Backside Base Layer>
The back-side substrate layer 31 is a layer that mainly constitutes the backmost surface of the tile body 1. However, as shown in FIG. 6, there are cases where the back-side substrate layer 31 does not constitute the backmost surface of the tile body 1. By providing the back-side substrate layer 31 on the backmost surface of the tile body 1, it is possible to prevent the end of the floor tile A from warping upward. In addition, by having the back surface of the back-side substrate layer 31 constitute the backmost surface of the tile body 1, the material for forming the adsorption part 2 is impregnated into the back-side substrate layer 31, and the adsorption part 2 that is firmly adhered to the tile body 1 can be formed.
The back substrate layer 31 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include fiber-containing layers such as felt, nonwoven fabric, woven fabric, and paper. The material of the fiber constituting the felt is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include animal hair such as sheep; synthetic resin fibers such as polyester and polyolefin; and the like. The material of the fiber constituting the nonwoven fabric or woven fabric is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include synthetic resin fibers such as polyester and polyolefin; inorganic fibers such as glass and carbon; and natural fibers. It is preferable to use felt as the back substrate layer 31 in terms of excellent unevenness absorption, cushioning, sound absorption, and processability.
The thickness of the back-side base material layer 31 is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 0.1 mm to 1 mm, and preferably 0.2 mm to 0.6 mm. The basis weight of the back-side base material layer 31 is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 30 g/m ² to 200 g/m ^2. If the thickness or basis weight of the back-side base material layer 31 is too small, there is a risk that the upward warping cannot be sufficiently suppressed, whereas if it is too large, there is a risk that the material forming the suction portion 2 does not sufficiently impregnate the back-side base material layer 31.

<Back side resin layer and front side resin layer>
The back side resin layer 32 (including the first back side resin layer 321 and the second back side resin layer 322) and the front side resin layer 54 are main resin layers that constitute the strength and weight of the tile body 1.
The back side resin layer 32 (including the first back side resin layer 321 and the second back side resin layer 322) and the front side resin layer 54 may be foamed or non-foamed, respectively, independently. From the viewpoint of imparting good cushioning properties to the floor tile A, it is preferable that the back side resin layer 32 is a foam. When the back side resin layer 32 and the front side resin layer 54 are provided, it is preferable that at least one of them is a foam, from the viewpoint of imparting good cushioning properties to the floor tile A. In particular, since the rigidity of the front side resin layer 54 is greater than that of the back side resin layer 32, it is preferable that the back side resin layer 32 is a foam and the front side resin layer 54 is a non-foam.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, when the back side resin layer 32 is composed of multiple resin layers (in the illustrated example, first and second back side resin layers 321, 322), all of the layers may be made of non-foamed material, but preferably at least one of the multiple resin layers is made of foamed material.
When the back side resin layer 32 and the front side resin layer 54 are foams, the expansion ratio is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 1.1 to 4 times, and preferably 1.1 to 2 times. If the expansion ratio is too low, the floor tile A cannot be substantially provided with cushioning properties, while if the expansion ratio is too high, the floor tile A will deform too much in the thickness direction. Floor tiles A having an expansion ratio within the above range can eliminate gaps between adjacent floor tiles A by pressing them when laid, and can prevent sweat from getting around to the back side of the floor tiles A.

The resin components of the back side resin layer 32 and the front side resin layer 54 are not particularly limited, and can be independently made of conventionally known materials. Generally, a thermoplastic resin is used, and further, a soft thermoplastic resin is used.
Examples of the thermoplastic resin include vinyl chloride resins such as vinyl chloride and vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymers; polyolefin resins; urethane resins; vinyl acetate resins such as ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers; acrylic resins such as ethylene-methacrylate resins; polyamide resins; ester resins; various elastomers such as olefin elastomers and styrene elastomers; and rubber. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The back side resin layer 32 and the front side resin layer 54 are preferably resin layers containing vinyl chloride resin as the main component resin, because they are inexpensive and have excellent flexibility and durability, and are easily bonded to a bonding resin described below and have excellent processability and durability.

In this specification, the main component resin refers to the component (by weight) that is the largest among the resin components (excluding additives) that make up the layer. The amount of the main component resin is more than 50% by weight, preferably 70% by weight or more, and more preferably 80% by weight or more, when the total resin components that make up the layer are taken as 100% by weight. The upper limit of the amount of the main component resin is 100% by weight. When the amount of the main component resin is less than 100% by weight, the resins other than the main component resin contained in the layer are not particularly limited, and known resin components can be used.

The vinyl chloride resin may be produced by emulsion polymerization, suspension polymerization, solution polymerization, bulk polymerization, etc. Vinyl chloride resins produced by emulsion polymerization or suspension polymerization are preferred because they are easy to process and handle. These vinyl chloride resins may be used alone or in combination of two or more.
Preferably, the backside resin layer 32 contains a suspension polyvinyl chloride resin as a main component resin. By forming the backside resin layer 32 from a suspension polyvinyl chloride resin, a floor tile A having a relatively small thickness can be formed while ensuring the strength of the floor tile A. Similarly, the frontside resin layer 54 preferably contains a suspension polyvinyl chloride resin as a main component resin.

The vinyl chloride paste resin is, for example, a vinyl chloride paste obtained by emulsion polymerization, and the viscosity can be appropriately adjusted by a plasticizer. The vinyl chloride paste resin is a fine powder having a particle size of 0.1 to 10 μm (preferably 1 to 3 μm) composed of a large number of fine particles, and preferably the surface of the fine powder is coated with a surfactant. The average degree of polymerization of the vinyl chloride paste resin is preferably about 1000 to 2000.
The suspension vinyl chloride resin is, for example, a vinyl chloride resin obtained by a suspension polymerization method. The suspension vinyl chloride resin is a fine powder having a particle size of preferably 20 μm to 100 μm. The average polymerization degree of the suspension vinyl chloride resin is preferably about 700 to 1500, more preferably about 700 to 1100, and even more preferably about 700 to 1000.
However, the particle size is the median size (D50) in the volume-based particle size distribution.

The vinyl chloride resins preferably have a K value of about 60 to 95, and more preferably have a K value of about 65 to 80.
In addition to the above resin components, the back side resin layer 32 and the front side resin layer 54 usually contain various additives. As the additives, conventionally known ones can be used, for example, a filler, a plasticizer, a flame retardant, a stabilizer, a moisture absorbent, an antioxidant, a lubricant, a colorant, a foaming agent, an antifungal agent, etc.
The thickness of the back side resin layer 32 is not particularly limited and can be appropriately set, for example, to 0.5 mm to 5 mm, and preferably 0.7 mm to 2 mm. When the back side resin layer 32 is composed of multiple resin layers, the thickness of the back side resin layer 32 corresponds to the total thickness of the multiple resin layers.
The thickness of the front resin layer 54 is not particularly limited, but is preferably smaller than the thickness of the back resin layer 32. The thickness of the front resin layer 54 is, for example, 0.1 mm to 2 mm, and preferably 0.2 mm to 1 mm. When the front resin layer 54 is composed of a plurality of resin layers, the thickness of the front resin layer 54 corresponds to the total thickness of the plurality of resin layers.

<Intermediate Base Material Layer>
The intermediate base material layer 4 is a layer interposed in the middle of the tile body 1 in the thickness direction.
By providing the intermediate substrate layer 4, a floor tile A having excellent dimensional stability can be constructed.
The intermediate substrate layer 4 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include fiber-containing layers such as nonwoven fabric and woven fabric. The material of the fibers constituting the nonwoven fabric or woven fabric is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include synthetic resin fibers such as polyester and polyolefin; inorganic fibers such as glass and carbon; and natural fibers. In particular, it is preferable to use a glass sheet containing glass fibers as the intermediate substrate layer 4, since the dimensional change due to temperature is small. Floor tiles A with small dimensional change can prevent gaps from occurring between floor tiles A over time and the edge of a floor tile A from climbing up to the edge of an adjacent floor tile A. This can prevent the laid floor tile A from rolling up or tripping due to the edge climbing up.

The glass sheet may be a nonwoven glass fabric or a woven glass fabric containing a plurality of glass fibers.
A glass nonwoven fabric, which is an example of a glass sheet, is formed by randomly overlapping glass fibers to form layers, and can be manufactured by various methods such as the needle punch method, the hydroentanglement method, the spunbond method, and the chemical bond method.
Woven glass fabric, an example of a glass sheet, is made up of multiple glass fibers woven vertically and horizontally with regularity to form layers, or multiple glass fibers overlapping vertically and horizontally with regularity and bound together with a binder such as an adhesive to form layers.

In order to firmly bond adjacent layers on the rear and front sides of the glass sheet (intermediate base layer 4) based on the glass sheet, it is preferable that a bonding resin be attached to the glass sheet.
The bonding resin may be applied to the entire surface of the glass fiber, or may be applied to the entire surface of many of the glass fibers and a portion of the surface of the remaining glass fibers, or may be applied uniformly or non-uniformly to the surface of the glass fiber.
The weight of the bonding resin relative to the glass sheet is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 5 g/m ² to 105 g/m ² , preferably 10 g/m ² to 80 g/m ² , and more preferably 15 g/m ² to 60 g/m ² .
The basis weight of the glass sheet with the bonding resin (the sum of the basis weights of the glass sheet and the bonding resin) is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 15 g/m ² to 205 g/m ² , preferably 20 g/m ² to 180 g/m ² , and more preferably 35 g/m ² to 160 g/m ² .

The bonding resin functions as a binder resin for bonding the backside resin layer 32 and the like to the glass sheet.
As the bonding resin, a conventionally known resin can be used, and examples thereof include the thermoplastic resins exemplified for the back side resin layer 32 .
Since the bonding resin has excellent bonding properties to the backside resin layer 32, which has a vinyl chloride-based resin as its main component resin, it is preferable that the bonding resin contains a vinyl chloride-based resin as its main component resin, and it is preferable that the bonding resin contains a paste vinyl chloride-based resin as its main component resin.

<Decorative layer>
The decorative layer 51 is a layer that imparts color to the floor tile A.
The decorative layer 51 may be a colored synthetic resin layer, a printed sheet, a transfer sheet, or the like.
The colored synthetic resin layer is a layer that itself exhibits a color. The synthetic resin layer may be, for example, (1) a resin layer having the color of the resin itself, (2) a resin layer mixed with a colorant and colored by the colorant, or (3) a resin layer formed into a sheet shape by mixing colored resin chips. The decorative layer 51 made of a colored synthetic resin layer is formed by laminating and joining the synthetic resin layer to the surface of the intermediate base material layer 4 or the surface of the front resin layer 54.
The printing sheet is a synthetic resin sheet such as a polyvinyl chloride resin sheet on which a single color is printed. The transfer sheet is obtained by printing printing ink on a substrate such as release paper, solidifying the ink, and then peeling off the solidified printing ink. The decorative layer 51 made of the transfer sheet is formed by transferring the printing ink onto the back surface of the protective layer 52 or the like.
The thickness of the decorative layer 51 is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 0.5 μm to 1 mm, and preferably 0.01 mm to 0.8 mm. When the decorative layer 51 is made of a colored synthetic resin layer, the thickness is, for example, 0.3 mm to 1 mm, and when the decorative layer 51 is made of a printing sheet or a transfer sheet, the thickness is, for example, 0.5 μm to 0.5 mm.

<Protective Layer>
The protective layer 52 is a layer provided to facilitate removal of dirt adsorbed on the floor tile A. The protective layer 52 is provided as necessary. The protective layer 52 is transparent, and preferably colorless and transparent, so that the color of the decorative layer 51 provided below the protective layer 52 can be visually confirmed.
The protective layer 52 is formed of a resin material. In particular, the protective layer 52 is preferably a non-foamed material having a relatively high density. Examples of the resin material for the protective layer 52 include those exemplified in the above section <Back side resin layer and front side resin layer>, and a resin containing a vinyl chloride resin as a main component is preferred because it is firmly bonded to the decorative layer 51 or the front side resin layer 54.
The thickness of the protective layer 52 is not particularly limited and is, for example, 0.03 mm to 1 mm.

<Scratch prevention layer>
The scratch prevention layer 53 is a layer provided to impart abrasion resistance, scratch resistance, and stain resistance to the surface of the floor tile A. The scratch prevention layer 53 is provided as necessary. For the same reasons as the protective layer 52, the scratch prevention layer 53 is transparent (preferably colorless and transparent).
The resin material forming the scratch prevention layer 53 is not particularly limited, but is preferably a relatively hard resin layer. Examples of such scratch prevention layer 53 include those containing a hard synthetic resin as a main component resin. The hard synthetic resin is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to use a curable resin because of its good processability, and it is more preferable to use an ionizing radiation curable resin because it is less likely to cause thermal damage to the layer (such as the protective layer 52) on which the scratch prevention layer 53 is laminated, and it is even more preferable to use an ultraviolet curable resin because it is versatile. Examples of the curable resin include ionizing radiation curable resins such as ultraviolet curable resins, as well as thermosetting resins and resins cured by non-ionizing radiation.
The thickness of the scratch prevention layer 53 is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 1 μm to 100 μm, preferably 5 μm to 70 μm, and more preferably 10 μm to 50 μm.

The scratch-resistant layer 53 preferably contains the above-mentioned resin material and a matting agent such as silica. By containing the matting agent in the scratch-resistant layer 53, the glossiness of the surface can be reduced and sweat absorption can be improved.
The content of the silica is, for example, 3 to 9% by weight, and preferably 5 to 7% by weight, when the entire scratch-prevention layer 53 is taken as 100% by weight.
The average particle size of the silica is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 0.01 μm to 20 μm, and preferably 0.1 μm to 15 μm. By using silica within this range, it is possible to adjust the glossiness to an appropriate level. The planar shape and three-dimensional shape of the silica may be irregular or may be regular, such as circular or spherical, but it is preferable to use silica whose planar shape and three-dimensional shape are irregular.
The average particle size of the silica can be measured from an SEM image as follows.
An SEM photograph is taken at 1000 times magnification of an arbitrary portion of the surface of the scratch prevention layer 53, and 10 random silica particles are extracted from among those appearing within an arbitrary 100 μm2 area in the SEM image, and the particle diameters of these silica particles are measured. When the silica particles are irregular, the average value of the maximum and minimum widths is taken as the particle diameter. The average particle diameter of the 10 silica particles is calculated to be the average particle diameter of the silica. By setting the silica content and average particle diameter within the above ranges, a floor tile A with excellent sweat absorption properties can be constructed.

[Edge of tile body]
The peripheral edge 1a of the tile body 1 may be angular, but is preferably chamfered.
9 and 10 are enlarged cross-sectional views of a floor tile A whose peripheral edge 1a is chamfered.
In Fig. 9, the peripheral edge 1a of the tile body 1 is formed into an outwardly bulging arcuate surface, whereas in Fig. 10, the peripheral edge 1a of the tile body 1 is formed into an inclined surface.
The chamfer depth H is, for example, 0.05 mm to 1.0 mm, and preferably 0.10 mm to 0.50 mm. Within this range, even if the edge of the floor tile A rises slightly upward and a slight step occurs in the gap (joint) between adjacent floor tiles, the edge 1a is chamfered, so that a player will not easily get caught when slipping on the floor.
The chamfer depth H refers to the vertical length of the portion shown in Figures 9 and 10. In detail, the chamfer depth H refers to the vertical length between the start point of the inclination on the surface side of the tile body 1 and the end point of the inclination on the thickness surface side of the tile body 1.

Because the peripheral portion 1a of the tile body 1 is chamfered, when laying the floor tile A, the floor tile A can be pushed downward from above along the chamfer, so that the thickness surfaces of adjacent floor tiles A are sufficiently in close contact, and gaps between adjacent floor tiles A can be substantially eliminated. By laying adjacent floor tiles A without gaps, sweat can be prevented from seeping between the floor tiles A to the back side of the floor tile A. By making it difficult for sweat to seep to the back side of the floor tile A, the adhesive force of the floor tile A to the floor surface can be maintained at a high level, and safety can be increased.

The tile body 1 in Figures 9 and 10 has, in order from the back surface side to the front surface side, a back base material layer 31, a back resin layer 32, an intermediate base material layer 4, a decorative layer 51, a protective layer 52, and a scratch prevention layer 53. The layer structure of the tile body 1 having the chamfered peripheral portion 1a is not limited to the structure shown in Figures 9 and 10, and the layer structures shown in Figures 4 to 8 above can be appropriately adopted.
The tile body 1 shown in Figure 9 can be obtained, for example, by pressing and recessing the peripheral portion before forming the scratch-resistant layer 53, and then forming the scratch-resistant layer 53 on the entire surface including the recessed peripheral portion.
The tile body 1 shown in Figure 10 can be obtained, for example, by scraping off the peripheral portion to form an inclined surface before forming the scratch-resistant layer 53, and then forming the scratch-resistant layer 53 on the entire surface including the inclined peripheral portion.

[Adsorption part]
As shown in each figure, an adhesive part 2 is provided on the back surface of the tile body 1. The back surface of the adhesive part 2 constitutes the back surface of the floor tile A. Since the adhesive part 2 adheres to the floor surface in a peelable manner, the floor tile A is less likely to slip relative to the floor surface, and the floor tile A can be removed from the floor surface. Note that a release sheet (not shown) may be temporarily attached to the back surface of the floor tile A (the back surface of the adhesive part 2) for the purpose of protecting the adhesive part 2 during storage and transportation.
The suction portion 2 may be provided in a solid manner on the back surface of the tile body 1 (not shown). In the illustrated example, the suction portion 2 is not provided on the entire back surface of the tile body 1, but is provided partially on the back surface of the tile body 1. In other words, the back surface of the floor tile A is such that the back surface of the tile body 1 is partially exposed.
In order to clearly show the range in which the suction portion 2 is formed, the suction portion 2 is shaded in FIG.
In the illustrated example, the suction portion 2 is made up of a plurality of convex portions protruding from the back surface of the tile body 1, for example, a plurality of elongated convex portions protruding vertically from the back surface of the tile body 1. Each of the elongated suction portions 2 extends in a first direction of the tile body 1, and the plurality of suction portions 2 are arranged side by side substantially parallel to the second direction of the tile body 1. Note that the portions without the convex portions (suction portions 2) are the exposed back surface portions of the tile body 1.
"Approximately parallel" means that the error range is acceptable in the technical field to which the present invention pertains, and means, for example, within a range of ±10 degrees from strictly parallel, and preferably within a range of ±5 degrees.

The height of the protrusion (adsorption portion 2) is not particularly limited, but if it is too small, there is a risk that the effect of preventing slippage of the floor tile A cannot be obtained, so it is, for example, 0.05 mm to 1 mm, and preferably 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm. The height of the protrusion (adsorption portion 2) is the vertical length from the base of the protrusion to the apex of the protrusion.
The width of the elongated convex portion (adsorption portion 2) is not particularly limited, but is preferably 1 mm to 20 mm, and more preferably 1.5 mm to 5 mm, from the viewpoint of effectively preventing displacement of the floor tile A and facilitating removal of the laid floor tile A from the floor surface. If the planar shape of the convex portion is band-shaped and the width is not uniform, the width of the convex portion corresponds to the width at the widest point.
The interval between adjacent convex parts (adsorption parts 2) is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of effectively preventing the floor tile A from shifting position and making it easy to remove the laid floor tile A from the floor surface, it is preferably 1 mm to 5 mm, and more preferably 1 mm to 3 mm. The intervals between each convex part may be different or the same. In order to adhere evenly to the floor surface, it is preferable that the intervals between each convex part are the same.

The material for the suction part 2 is not particularly limited as long as it can be attached to the floor surface with sufficient adhesion to prevent the floor tile A from shifting. Examples of materials for the suction part 2 include materials that adhere to the floor surface by adsorption or adhesion. The suction part 2 by adsorption adheres strongly to the floor surface when a load is applied to the laid floor tile A, preventing the floor tile A from shifting, and on the other hand, adheres weakly to the floor surface when the load is not applied, allowing the floor tile A to be removed relatively easily. Examples of materials for the suction part 2 that adheres by adhesion include peel-up adhesives.
The suction portion 2 formed by suction is preferred because the material forming the suction portion 2 is unlikely to remain on the floor surface after the floor tile A is removed.
Examples of materials for forming the suction portion 2 that is suction-attached include flexible foamed resin, soft rubber, and the like.
The flexible foamed resin has a porous structure having a plurality of micropores on its back surface. The foamed resin may have either an open-cell structure or a closed-cell structure, but an open-cell structure is preferred because it has sufficient suction cup function and exhibits high suction power. The material of the foamed resin is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include thermoplastic resins such as acrylic resin, urethane resin, ethylene-vinyl acetate, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, epoxy resin, acrylic ester, and polyester. Because of its excellent adhesion, it is preferred to use foamed acrylic resin obtained by foaming acrylic resin as the material for forming the suction portion 2.

Furthermore, the foamed resin constituting the adsorption part 2 may contain silicone resin to adjust the ease of peeling, but in the floor tile A of the present invention, it is preferable to use a foamed resin that does not substantially contain silicone resin. The adsorption part 2 made of a foamed resin that does not substantially contain silicone resin is particularly easy to remove from the floor surface, and foamed resin forming materials such as silicone resin are unlikely to remain on the floor surface, and the floor surface can be reliably restored to its original state. In other words, by using a foamed resin that does not substantially contain silicone resin for the adsorption part 2, it is possible to provide a floor tile A that is excellent in workability and safety, which is firmly fixed when laid, while reliably restoring the floor surface to its original state.
The term "substantially free of silicone resin" means that silicone resin may be accidentally or unavoidably mixed in during the production of the adsorption part 2. When the adsorption part 2 is substantially free of silicone resin, the content of the silicone resin is 3% by weight or less, and preferably 1% by weight or less, when the entire adsorption part 2 is taken as 100% by weight.
The expansion ratio of the foamed resin is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of ensuring sufficient adhesion to the floor surface and reducing the likelihood of material damage, it is preferably 1.1 to 6 times, more preferably 1.6 to 2 times, and particularly preferably 1.6 to less than 2 times.

[Method of manufacturing floor tiles]
Next, a method for producing the floor tile A of the present invention will be briefly described.
For example, the manufacturing of a floor tile A shown in FIG. 9 will be described.
The intermediate substrate layer is coated with a resin to produce an intermediate substrate layer. The intermediate substrate layer may be, for example, a glass sheet, and in particular, the above-mentioned glass nonwoven fabric or glass woven fabric (preferably glass nonwoven fabric).
In addition, a protective layer, a decorative layer, and a backside resin layer are prepared. The method for forming the protective layer, the decorative layer, and the backside resin layer is not particularly limited and can be appropriately selected depending on the materials used to form them. Examples of the method include a calendar method, a melt extrusion method, and a solution casting method.

On the other hand, an adhesive portion is formed on the backside substrate layer to prepare a backside substrate layer with an adhesive portion. For example, felt can be used as the backside substrate layer.
Specifically, for example, an emulsion solution containing an acrylic ester copolymer emulsion as a resin component and substantially no silicone resin is mixed with an appropriate amount of auxiliary agents such as a crosslinking agent, a filler, a foaming agent, a thickener, and a water repellent to prepare a material for forming an adsorption part. This is foamed by stirring and foaming while blowing air into it with a foaming machine. The obtained foam-forming material contains air bubbles, has viscosity and adhesion, and has microbubbles even after drying. The foam-forming material thus obtained is applied to the backside substrate layer using a rotary screen coating machine or the like. For example, a doctor blade having a plurality of notches formed thereon is placed on the backside of the backside substrate layer on the downstream side of the coating machine. The backside resin layer on which the foam-forming material is solidly applied by the coating machine is conveyed downstream at a predetermined speed, and when it passes through the doctor blade, the foam-forming material corresponding to the portions other than the notches is scraped off. For this reason, convex portions of the foam-forming material extending elongatedly in the conveying direction are formed on the backside substrate layer in a plurality of rows in the width direction. Thereafter, the foam-forming material is passed through a dryer and dried at 120°C to 200°C for several minutes, and then cooled to obtain a back-side substrate layer having an adsorbent portion (back-side substrate layer with adsorbent portion) as shown in FIG. 2.

The protective layer, decorative layer, resin-attached intermediate substrate layer, backside resin layer, and backside substrate layer with an adhesive portion prepared as described above are laminated in this order from the front side, and the resulting product is passed between a pair of rolls to apply heat and pressure, thereby integrating the layers together to form a laminate.
Examples of the method for bonding each layer by heating and pressing include lamination, calendar molding, continuous pressing, etc. For example, in the case of lamination, the heating temperature is 160° C. to 200° C., and the pressure between the rolls is 20 kgf/cm ² to 100 kgf/cm ² .
The surface of the laminate is embossed with an embossing roller or the like to form fine irregularities. The embossing is preferably non-directional in plan view, and examples include matte embossing, pebble embossing, and matte embossing. Since such non-directional embossing is not directionally dependent, players are less likely to slip no matter which direction they move in, and can play stably, compared to directional embossing such as wood grain embossing and flow pattern embossing. In addition, the fine non-directional embossing diffuses the light irradiated by the unevenness without directionality, so that a floor tile A having sweat absorption properties without directionality can be constructed.
The surface of the embossed laminate is coated with, for example, an ionizing radiation curable monomer or oligomer (a material for forming a scratch-resistant layer) using a roll coater or the like, and then irradiated with ionizing radiation to form a scratch-resistant layer on the outermost surface. In this manner, as shown in Fig. 9, a floor tile having, in order from the surface side, a scratch-resistant layer 53/protective layer 52/decorative layer 51/intermediate substrate layer 4/backside resin layer 32/backside substrate layer 31/adhesive portion 2 is obtained. At this point, the floor tile is a long object in which floor tiles A are continuously connected.
This long piece is cut into pieces and the edges are chamfered to obtain the floor tile A of the present invention having a predetermined shape in plan view.

[Floor tile use and installation structure]
The floor tile A of the present invention is used by being laid on the floor surface of a sports facility. Although the floor tile A of the present invention is suitably used for sports facilities, it may also be used for floor surfaces of other buildings.
Examples of sports facilities include gymnasiums, fitness gyms, ball fields, etc., and particularly include indoor or roofed gymnasiums, fitness gyms, ball fields, etc. that are not exposed to rain. The type of floor surface of the sports facility is not particularly limited, and examples include a wooden floor surface, a hard tile floor surface, a resin floor surface, a concrete surface, etc. In particular, when the floor surface is made of a material with excellent smoothness, the floor tile A can be firmly fixed to the floor surface by the adsorption part 2, so that the floor surface is preferably a wooden floor surface, a hard tile floor surface, or a resin floor surface.
The floor tile A of the present invention can be carried in, laid, and removed by one person, has excellent workability, and can also be peeled off and removed, and then laid again for reuse, which is also preferable from an environmental standpoint.

11 and 12 show an installation structure B in which a plurality of floor tiles A of the present invention are laid on a floor surface 9. The plurality of floor tiles A are laid on the floor surface 9 without any gaps.
When using a floor tile A having an elongated suction portion 2, the suction portions 2 between adjacent floor tiles A may be laid so as to be parallel to each other (this type of laying method is referred to as "flush laying" in this specification).
In a preferred laying structure, as shown in the illustrated example, the plurality of floor tiles A are laid side by side on the floor surface 9 so that the extending direction of each elongated suction portion 2 is perpendicular between adjacent floor tiles A (this type of laying method is referred to as "checkered" in this specification). Specifically, in plan view, between floor tiles A adjacent in the vertical direction, the elongated suction portions 2 are perpendicular to each other, and between floor tiles A adjacent in the horizontal direction, the elongated suction portions 2 are perpendicular to each other. In other words, floor tiles A in which the extending direction (first direction) of the suction portion 2 is arranged approximately parallel to the vertical direction in plan view, and floor tiles A in which the extending direction (first direction) of the suction portion 2 is arranged approximately parallel to the horizontal direction in plan view are alternately arranged in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. Note that the dashed line in FIG. 11 indicates the extending direction (first direction) of the elongated suction portion 2.
According to the installation structure B in which the floor tiles A are laid in a checkerboard pattern with the suction parts 2 crossing at right angles, the floor tiles A laid on the floor surface 9 are unlikely to shift out of position even when the player makes vigorous movements in all directions. In detail, the checkerboard pattern allows the floor tiles A, which are unlikely to shift against a force in one direction within the surface, and the floor tiles A, which are unlikely to shift against a force in a direction perpendicular to that, to interact with each other, making the installation structure B as a whole unlikely to shift in any direction. The installation structure B with this characteristic is particularly suitable for sports that involve vigorous movements such as volleyball.

The floor tile A of the present invention has excellent sweat-removing properties because the surface of the tile body 1 exhibits a single color with an L value of 30 to 80 and a glossiness of 1 to 10. The surface of such floor tile A makes it easy to distinguish sweat adhering to the surface, and sweat adhering to the surface of the floor tile A during a game or the like can be reliably wiped off.
For example, when playing ball games such as volleyball, basketball, table tennis, badminton, etc. at a sports facility, sweat on the floor surface can cause the soles of the feet to slip, so the sweat must be wiped off frequently. However, with the installation structure in which the floor tiles A of the present invention are laid, the scattered sweat can be reliably found and wiped off.

Furthermore, in the floor tile A of the present invention, the surface roughness Rz of the tile body 1 is 30 μm or more, so that the soles of the feet of the players are less likely to slip and do not interfere with the game. On the other hand, since the surface roughness Rz of the tile body 1 is 100 μm or less, even if a player slides on the surface of the floor tile A while playing volleyball or the like, the player can expect to slide smoothly without excessive friction being applied to the player's body or clothes. In addition, this surface roughness Rz has the effect of appropriately dispersing the light irradiated on the surface, so that the glossiness of the surface of the tile body 1 (floor tile A) is reduced and sweat absorption is improved.
In addition, when an athlete slides in or presses down on the floor tile A with the soles of his/her feet, distortion occurs inside the floor tile A, causing the floor tile A to stretch slightly in the surface direction, and as shown in Fig. 13, the peripheral edge 1a of one of the floor tiles A at the joint between adjacent floor tiles A may temporarily rise slightly, as shown in Fig. 13. Since the peripheral edge 1a of the floor tile A is chamfered, even if the peripheral edge 1a rises slightly as described above, the soles of the athlete's feet will not get caught, and abrasions are unlikely to occur even when the athlete slides in. This is particularly effective when the peripheral edge 1a is formed in an arc-shaped surface as shown in Fig. 9.

The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples and comparative examples. However, the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[Example 1]
Materials Used in Example 1
Material for forming the scratch prevention layer: A UV-curable coating liquid was used. This coating liquid contains a UV-curable resin containing urethane acrylate and acrylate monomer, a photopolymerization initiator, and silica with an average particle size of 3.4 μm as a matting agent, and the silica is contained in a liquid state of about 6% by weight.
Material for forming protective layer: A polyvinyl chloride resin was used for the suspension. This resin was manufactured by Kaneka Corporation under the trade name "Kanevinyl", and had a polymerization degree of 1050 and a K value of 67.
Decorative layer: A vinyl chloride-based resin sheet (colored synthetic resin layer) containing vinyl chloride and an orange pigment, with a width of 195 cm, a length of 500 m, and a thickness of about 150 μm, was used. This sheet was a product name "Colored Center Sheet" manufactured by Hiroshima Kasei Co., Ltd., and was itself orange in color.
Intermediate substrate layer: Glass nonwoven fabric (trade name "Grabest" manufactured by Orivest Co., Ltd.). Glass fiber thickness: diameter about 18 μm, glass fiber length: about 25 mm, basis weight: 30.42 g/m ² . The air permeability of this glass nonwoven fabric was 370 cc/cm ² ·sec.
Bonding Resin Paste vinyl chloride resin was used. This resin was manufactured by Kaneka Corporation under the trade name "Kanevinyl", and had a polymerization degree of 1150 and a K value of 69.
Material for forming the back side resin layer: A polyvinyl chloride resin was used as a suspension. This resin was manufactured by Kaneka Corporation under the trade name "Kanevinyl", and had a polymerization degree of 1050 and a K value of 67.
Backside base material layer with adhesive portion: A polyester nonwoven fabric with adhesive acrylic foam (manufactured by Sun Chemical) was used.
This polyester nonwoven fabric with adsorbent acrylic foam is composed of a polyester nonwoven fabric with a basis weight of 100 g/ ^m2 (this nonwoven fabric corresponds to the back-side base material layer) and an adsorbent part made of an acrylic resin foam (expansion ratio: 1.95 times) provided on one side of the nonwoven fabric. The adsorbent part was elongated in a plan view extending in the first direction and had a roughly semi-elliptical cross-sectional shape as shown in FIG. 3. The width of one adsorbent part (convex part) was 3.0 mm, and the interval between adjacent adsorbents (interval between convex parts) was 1.0 mm. The basis weight of the adsorbent part was 150 g/ ^m2 .

<Preparation of Floor Tile of Example 1>
The viscosity of the bonding resin (paste vinyl chloride resin) was adjusted to 1000 mPa·s by mixing a plasticizer (dioctyl phthalate) with the bonding resin. The viscosity was measured at 20° C. and 60 rpm using a BM type viscometer (product name “Viscotester”) manufactured by Rion Co., Ltd.
A bonding resin having the above viscosity was applied to the surface of the intermediate substrate layer (glass nonwoven fabric) using a general-purpose roll coater so that the resin weight was 20 g/ ^m2 , thereby producing a resin-attached intermediate substrate layer.

Separately, the material for forming the protective layer (suspension vinyl chloride resin) was calendared using a general-purpose calendar molding machine to produce a resin layer with a width of 195 cm, a length of 500 m and a thickness of 0.20 mm, which was used as the protective layer.
Similarly, the material for forming the backside resin layer (suspension vinyl chloride resin) was extruded to produce a resin layer having a width of 195 cm, a length of 500 m and a thickness of 1.0 mm, which was used as the backside resin layer.

A protective layer, a decorative layer (an orange resin sheet), a resin-attached intermediate substrate layer, a back resin layer, and a back substrate layer with an adsorbent portion (a polyester nonwoven fabric with an adsorbent acrylic foam) were layered from the front side to the back side in that order, and the laminate was heated to 150°C with a preheater and then passed between upper and lower laminating rolls each at 50°C to produce a laminate with a thickness of approximately 2 mm.
An embossed texture was formed on the surface of this laminate using an embossing roll.
The scratch prevention layer forming material (ultraviolet-curable coating liquid) was applied in a uniform thickness over the entire surface of the embossed laminate using a gravure roller, and then irradiated with ultraviolet light to form a colorless and transparent scratch prevention layer having a thickness of 20 μm on the surface of the laminate.
This long laminate was cut into a square shape of 900 mm x 900 mm, and the four peripheral edges were chamfered into arcuate shapes. In this way, a floor tile with a square shape in plan view was produced, as shown in Figure 9, having a layer structure of scratch prevention layer 53/protective layer 52/decorative layer 51/intermediate base material layer 4/rear resin layer 32/rear base material layer 31/adhesive portion 2 in order from the front side.
The weight of the obtained floor tiles was 1.875 kg per tile.

[Example 2]
Materials Used in Example 2
Material for forming the scratch prevention layer: A colorless and transparent urethane acrylate UV-curable resin paint was used. This paint contains urethane acrylate monomers and oligomers, photopolymerization initiators such as benzoin ether, defoamers, leveling agents, and matting agents including silica, and is a liquid that can be applied by itself.
Material for forming protective layer: A vinyl chloride composition prepared by mixing 100 parts by weight of a paste vinyl chloride resin (K value: 94), 40 parts by weight of a plasticizer (DOP), and a small amount of a stabilizer was used.
Decorative layer: A vinyl chloride-based resin sheet (colored synthetic resin layer) containing vinyl chloride and a blue pigment, having a width of 195 cm, a length of 500 m, and a thickness of about 150 μm, was used. This sheet itself exhibited a blue color.
Material for forming the surface resin layer: A vinyl chloride composition obtained by mixing 100 parts by weight of paste polyvinyl chloride resin (K value: 68), 40 parts by weight of a plasticizer (a mixture of DOP and DOA), 60 parts by weight of a filler (calcium carbonate), and a small amount of a stabilizer was used.
Intermediate Base Material Layer: A glass nonwoven fabric having a basis weight of 53 g/m ² and a thickness of approximately 0.2 mm was used.
Material for forming the back side resin layer: A vinyl chloride composition containing 100 parts by weight of paste polyvinyl chloride resin (K value: 68), 50 parts by weight of plasticizer (DOP), 30 parts by weight of filler (calcium carbonate), 2.5 parts by weight of foaming agent (ADCA), and a small amount of stabilizer was used.
Backside Base Material Layer with Adsorbent Portion The same polyester nonwoven fabric with adsorbent acrylic foam (manufactured by Sun Chemical) as in Example 1 was used.

<Preparation of Floor Tile of Example 2>
A material for forming a backside resin layer (vinyl chloride composition containing a foaming agent) was applied in a layer of approximately 1.5 mm thickness to the surface opposite the adsorption portion of the backside substrate layer with an adsorption portion (polyester nonwoven fabric with adsorbent acrylic foam), and then an intermediate substrate layer (glass nonwoven fabric) was placed on top of that. A material for forming a frontside resin layer (vinyl chloride composition) was applied in a layer of approximately 0.6 mm thickness on the intermediate substrate layer. A decorative layer (blue resin sheet) was placed on top of that, and a material for forming a protective layer (vinyl chloride composition) was applied in a layer of approximately 0.35 mm thickness on top of that to produce a laminate.
This laminate was heated to 200° C. to foam the material forming the backside resin layer and gel the vinyl chloride composition of the material forming each layer.
The surface of this laminate was embossed with an embossing roll, the depth of which was slightly shallower than that of Example 1.
The scratch prevention layer forming material (ultraviolet-curable coating liquid) was applied in a uniform thickness over the entire surface of the embossed laminate using a gravure roller, and then irradiated with ultraviolet light to form a scratch prevention layer with a thickness of approximately 20 μm.
This long laminate was cut into a square shape of 900 mm x 900 mm.
In this way, a floor tile was produced that had a square shape in plan view and had a layer structure of, from the front side, a scratch prevention layer 53/protective layer 52/decorative layer 51/front resin layer 54/intermediate base material layer 4/foamed rear resin layer 32/rear base material layer 31/adsorption portion 2, as shown in Figure 7.
The foamed backside resin layer had a thickness of about 3.32 mm and an expansion ratio of about 2.2 times.

[Example 3]
A floor tile having a square shape in plan view of Example 3 was produced in the same manner as Example 2, except that a decorative layer exhibiting a green color (a green resin sheet) was used instead of the decorative layer used in Example 2.
This decorative layer exhibiting a green color was a green resin sheet produced by replacing the blue pigment of the decorative layer used in Example 2 with a green pigment (a mixed pigment exhibiting a green color).

[Example 4]
A floor tile having a square shape in plan view of Example 4 was produced in the same manner as Example 2, except that an orange decorative layer (orange resin sheet) was used instead of the decorative layer used in Example 2.
This orange decorative layer was an orange resin sheet produced by replacing the blue pigment in the decorative layer used in Example 2 with an orange pigment (mixed pigment presenting an orange color).

[Example 5]
A floor tile having a square shape in plan view of Example 5 was produced in the same manner as Example 2, except that a gray decorative layer (gray resin sheet) was used instead of the decorative layer used in Example 2.
This gray decorative layer was a gray resin sheet produced by replacing the blue pigment of the decorative layer used in Example 2 with a gray pigment (a mixed pigment exhibiting a gray color).

[Comparative Examples 1 to 5]
In Comparative Examples 1 to 5, commercially available products were used.
As Comparative Example 1, a floor sheet manufactured by Toli Industries, Inc. (product name: "Pitafee", product number: "LPF531", surface color: light brown with a wood grain pattern) was used.
As Comparative Example 2, a long floor sheet manufactured by Molten Corporation (product name: "Color Sheet", product number: "MTCSR", surface color: red) was used.
As Comparative Example 3, a floor sheet manufactured by Toli Industries, Inc. (product name: "Floorium Plain", product number: "20FL1001", surface color: white) was used.
As Comparative Example 4, a floor sheet manufactured by Toli Industries, Inc. (product name: "Floorium Plain", product number: "20FL1007", surface color: black) was used.
As Comparative Example 5, a floor sheet manufactured by Toli Industries, Inc. (product name: "NS800", product number: "NS896", surface color: gray with sand-grained pattern) was used.

<Measurement of Glossiness>
The glossiness of the surface of each of the floor tiles of Examples 1 to 5 and the floor sheets of Comparative Examples 1 to 5 was measured. The results are shown in Table 1.
The glossiness was measured in accordance with JIS Z 8741:1997 (Specular glossiness--Method of measurement) using a glossiness measuring device equipped with a photodetector (product name "MultiGloss268" manufactured by Konica Minolta, Inc.), by irradiating light at an incident angle of 60° onto the surface of the floor tile (floor sheet) and measuring with a photodetector installed in the direction of the reflection angle.

<Measurement of L value, a value, and b value>
The L value, a value, and b value were measured on the surface of each of the floor tiles of Examples 1 to 5 and the floor sheets of Comparative Examples 1 to 5. The results are shown in Table 1.
To measure the L value, a value, and b value, three random points were selected on the surface of the floor tile (floor sheet), and the L value, a value, and b value of each point were measured using a spectrophotometer conforming to the L*a*b* color system (Konica Minolta product name "Spectrophotometer CM-600A"), and the average value of each was used as the measured value.

<Evaluation of sweat absorption>
The sweat wicking properties of the surfaces of the floor tiles of Examples 1 to 5 and the floor sheets of Comparative Examples 1 to 5 were evaluated.
The evaluation was performed as follows. The floor tiles of Examples 1 to 5 and the floor sheets of Comparative Examples 1 to 5 were cut into 15 cm x 15 cm to prepare sample pieces. The sample pieces were placed horizontally directly under a fluorescent lamp in a room, and a drop of water was dropped on the surface of the sample pieces from a height of about 150 cm. Then, as shown in FIG. 15(a), an observer with normal vision and binocular visual acuity of 1.0 looked at the water drop from directly above while standing (eye height of about 160 cm) and evaluated the degree of visibility. Next, as shown in FIG. 15(b), the observer moved 50 cm to the side of the sample piece, stood at that position, and looked at the water drop with an oblique line of sight to evaluate the degree of visibility. The results are shown in Table 1.

In the sweat absorption column of Table 1, "○" indicates that the water droplets were easily visible both from directly above and from a position 50 cm away, "△" indicates that it was difficult to see the water droplets from directly above, but they were visible from a position 50 cm away, and "×" indicates that it was difficult to see the water droplets both from directly above and from a position 50 cm away.

<Method of measuring surface roughness Ra and Rz>
The surface roughness in the X direction and the surface roughness in the Y direction were measured for the floor tiles of Examples 1 and 2 and the floor sheets of Comparative Examples 1 to 3 and 5. The results are shown in Table 2.
However, in Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Examples 2 and 3, non-directional embossments were formed, and it was empirically estimated that the measured values in the X direction and the Y direction would be similar, so only the surface roughness in the X direction was measured.
The "X direction" refers to a direction parallel to one side of the floor tile of the embodiment (in the floor sheet of the comparative example, a direction parallel to the long side), and the "Y direction" refers to a direction perpendicular to the X direction within the plane of the floor tile (and floor sheet) (the same applies below).
The surface roughnesses Ra and Rz were measured using a surface roughness measuring instrument (manufactured by Tokyo Seimitsu Co., Ltd. under the trade name "Surfcom 130A") conforming to JIS B0601 (2001). The surface roughnesses Ra and Rz in the X direction were measured by moving a detector in the X direction on the floor tile of the example, and the surface roughnesses Ra and Rz in the Y direction were measured by moving the detector in the Y direction.

<Tactile evaluation>
The surfaces of the floor tiles of Examples 1 and 2 and the floor sheets of Comparative Examples 1 to 3 and 5 were stroked with a finger along the X and Y directions to evaluate the directionality of the unevenness from the feel. The results are shown in Table 2.
In the tactile evaluation column of Table 2, "○" indicates that the feel of the unevenness in one direction was almost the same as the feel of the unevenness in the direction perpendicular to that, and "×" indicates that the feel of the unevenness in one direction was greater than the feel in the direction perpendicular to that.

<Last minute evaluation>
The slippage evaluation was performed as follows. A total of 25 floor tiles of Example 1 were laid on the floor surface in a square shape, 5 tiles each in the vertical and horizontal directions, to construct a floor tile installation structure of 4.5 m in length x 4.5 m in width. Similarly, a floor tile installation structure of 4.5 m in length x 4.5 m in width was constructed for the floor tiles of Example 2.
A subject wearing sportswear with long sleeves and long pants and sneakers slid several times on the surface of the floor tiles of the laid structure, like a flying receive of a volleyball, and evaluated the situation.
In the slip evaluation column in Table 2, "◯" indicates that there was no problem with friction on clothes or hands, the floor tile could slide safely, there was no slippage from the floor surface, and the edges of the floor tile did not lift, and the floor tile was firmly fixed to the floor surface by the adhesive part. "-" in Table 2 indicates that no evaluation was performed.

<Measurement method of CSR value>
The CSR values in the X direction and the Y direction were measured for the surfaces of the floor tiles of Examples 1 and 2 and the floor sheets of Comparative Examples 1 to 3 and 5. The results are shown in Table 3 .
In Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Example 3, the embossing has no directionality and is similar in the X and Y directions, so only the X direction was measured. The floor sheet of Comparative Example 1 is a long and narrow rectangular shape with a short length in the Y direction, so the CSR value could not be measured. The floor sheet of Comparative Example 2 is a thin film, and is affected by the substrate of the measuring instrument, so the CSR value was not measured. Note that the CSR value of Comparative Example 5 in Table 3 is the average value of the CSR value in the X direction and the CSR value in the Y direction.
The CSR value was measured by cutting a floor tile (floor sheet) to a size of 300 x 300 mm (length x width) and measuring the surface of the sample while it was dry under standard conditions (23°C, 1 atmosphere, 50% RH) using a measuring device (product name "No. 162-OY O.Y. Pull Slip Tester" manufactured by Yasuda Seiki Seisakusho Co., Ltd.) in accordance with the slipperiness test of JIS A 1454 (2016). In general, the higher the CSR value, the less slippery the surface is.

<Evaluation of slipperiness of shoe soles>
The floor tiles of Examples 1 and 2 and the floor sheets of Comparative Examples 1 to 3 and 5 were laid on the floor surface in a sufficiently large area. Subjects wearing athletic shoes walked and jumped sideways on each of the floor tiles of each Example and the floor sheets of each Comparative Example to evaluate the slipperiness of the soles of the shoes. Walking and jumping sideways were performed in both the X and Y directions. The results are shown in Table 3.
In the evaluation column, "○" indicates that the soles of the shoes did not slip during either walking or side-to-side jumping, "△" indicates that there was no problem with walking, but there was occasionally a feeling that the soles of the shoes slipped slightly during side-to-side jumping, and "×" indicates that there was no problem with walking, but there was a feeling that there was a difference in the stance of the feet in the X and Y directions during side-to-side jumping.
In addition, in the case of Examples 1 and 2, even when jumping sideways repeatedly, the floor tiles did not shift from the floor surface and the edges of the floor tiles did not lift, and the floor tiles were firmly fixed to the floor surface by the suction parts.

A Floor tile B Floor tile installation structure 1 Tile body 1a Periphery of tile body (periphery of floor tile)
2. Suction part 9. Floor surface of sports facility

Claims (6)

A sheet-shaped tile body and an adsorption portion provided on the back surface of the tile body,
The tile body has, in order from the surface side, a decorative layer made of synthetic resin and a resin layer,
The surface of the tile body exhibits a single color with an L value of 42 to 68 , and the gloss of the surface measured at an incident angle of 60° is 4.3 to 9.9 ;
The floor tile for sports facilities is attachable to and detachable from the floor surface of the sports facility via the suction portion. The floor tile for sports facilities according to claim 1, wherein the surface roughness Rz of the tile body is 44 μm to 56 μm . The tile body has, in order from the surface side, a transparent protective layer, the decorative layer, and the resin layer,
The peripheral edge of the tile body is chamfered ,
a peripheral portion of the protective layer faces downward along the chamfered portion;
The floor tile for sports facilities according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an end face of the resin layer is exposed . The floor tile for sports facilities according to claim 1 , wherein the resin layer has a foamed resin layer . The floor tile for sports facilities according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the suction portion is elongated in a plan view extending in a first direction of the tile body, and a plurality of the elongated suction portions are arranged in parallel in a second direction of the tile body. A floor structure in which a plurality of floor tiles according to any one of claims 1 to 5 are laid side by side on a floor surface of a sports facility,
A floor tile laying structure, in which the plurality of floor tiles are laid side by side on the floor surface with the edges of adjacent floor tiles abutting each other.

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