Vibration-Absorbing Fire-Resisting Floor for Vehicles, Vessels or the Like

The present invention relates to a light-weighted vibration-absorbing and fire-resisting floor for vehicles, vessels or the like.

In accordance with the present invention, there comprises a lower layer, wherein a layer of epoxy or urethane synthetic resin elastic body is formed in a sheet-like fashion of given thickness (1 to 5 mm), coated by coating process on a metal base plate such as iron and steel plate, stainless steel plate, iron alloy, light alloy, light metal plate, etc. utilized for floors of vehicles, vessels or the like, and a middle layer on said lower layer of extremely light-weighted and thickness of 5 to 70 mm, wherein a surface of porous globular or lump-like bodies obtained by baking, at high temperature, kaolinite fireclay mineral and expansible mineral such as shale, sand stone or the like, is coated with said epoxy or urethane synthetic resin elastic bodies in covering fashion. On the middle layer is provided a top layer of 1-10 mm coated with fire-resisting polymer cement mortar or fire-resisting resin mortar. This top layer is coated with fire-resisting polymer cement mortar composed of cement and synthetic latex, synthetic resin emulsion and powder of the kaolinite fireclay mineral baked porous bodies or alkali resisting glass fibers alone or a mixture thereof, or fire-resisting resin mortar composed of a mixture of the epoxy or urethane synthetic resin elastic bodies and the baked porous powder alone or combined use thereof with aluminum hydroxide or the like therewith, whereby said lower layer, middle layer and top layer are integrally coated on the floor made from metal plate one over another to provide a rigid floor construction which is extremely light-weighted, can sufficiently absorb vibrations and is good in heat insulation and fire resistance.

Accordingly, the vehicles and vessels using the fire-resisting floor of the present invention may afford comfortable residing properties. These vehicles are inevitably attended by vibrations which in turn are also attended by sounds, imparting a great discomfort to passengers. In the construction of metal alone, vibrations and sounds may pass through as it is and on the other hand, the strength and the other properties are extremely high. On the other hand, synthetic rubber, synthetic resin and the like has a good vibration-absorbing characteristic but is poor in heat resistance and has the strength inferior to metal.

In the present invention, there is used synthetic rubber, synthetic resin elastic body, mineral-baked porous body, glass fiber of the like, which have good heat resistance, to thereby reduce weight and to enhance vibration-absorption as well as adequate elasticity, and accordingly, it is very effective in operation under the severe physical conditions of vehicles or the like, insuring durability and safety.

The present invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a vibration-absorbing and fire-resisting floor in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion "A" of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 (A), (B), (C) and (D) are sectional views of assistance in explaining various constructions of metal plates for the floor.

Referring now to FIG. 1, which is a sectional view clearly showing the construction of a vibration-absorbing and fire-resisting floor in accordance with the present invention, the floor comprises a metal plate 1, a lower layer 2 coated on the metal plate 1, the lower layer 2 being formed of a heat-resisting plastic elastic material to afford good vibration-absorbing properties, a middle layer 3 and a top layer 4. In FIG. 2, which is an enlarged view showing a portion "A" of FIG. 1, the middle layer 3 comprises a number of clay baking porous globular components or lumps 5 which forms a random block formed with spaces 7 in clearances thereof. Each of individual globular components or lumps 5 is peripherally coated with elastic epoxy or urethane synthetic resin elastic material 6, and portions of the lumps in contact with one another are firmly placed in contact with elasticity. Further, the individual globular component or lump 5 is of a porous body formed with fine foam spaces, and therefore, the middle layer is extremely light-weighted and may be almost excluded from vibrations and sounds.

The top layer 4 to be placed on the uppermost surface comprises fire-resisting resin mortar composed of the aforesaid epoxy or urethane plastic elastic material and the aforesaid porous powder or a mixture of said powder and aluminum hydroxide or the like, or a mixture 8 in the form of latex of cement and elastic natural or synthetic rubber or synthetic resin, and an aggregate 9 composed of a hardened material forming a final coating composite of the aforesaid kaolinite fireclay baking porous powder or glass fibers or a mixture thereof, which has heat resistance, is extremely high in strength and has some elasticity. Since the middle layer 3 is closely held at its upper and lower surfaces between the specific incombustible heat-resisting upper layer 4 and the base body composed of the heat-resisting metal plate 1 whereas opposite sides thereof are also closely held by opposite walls of the vehicle to greately prevent entry of air thereinto, and since there is used less in quantity than that of special non-combustible aggregate composed of high temperature crushed baked lumps from fireclay mineral of kaolinite (Al.sub.2 O, 2SiO.sub.2, 2H.sub.2 O) using epoxy resin or polyurethane resin as adhesives or expansible mineral such as shale and sand-stone, there is extremely limited a supply of air since the interior of the paved floor is maintained in closed state totally excluded from atmosphere even if the top surface of the upper layer 4 and the heat-resisting metal plate as the base body are exposed to high temperature flame heat from the lower surface of the floor and the side walls of the vehicle when a fire of vehicle breaks out. As a consequence, the epoxy resion or polyurethane resin used in the middle layer 3 remains as an aromatic carbonaceous decomposed and condensed residue resulting from thermal decomposition peculiar to condensation polymer thereof, that is, in the state of so-called "baking in a casserole". The aforesaid resin, which is in the form of carbide in the state of "baking in a casserole", is baked on the surface between the aforesaid special heat-resisting light-weighted arregate and the non-combustible burned product to still leave a flame-resisting, heat-resisting and non-combustible intermediate adhesive layer, whereby functioning as an intermediate adhesive layer without impairing the original form thereof and satisfactorily achieving the effect as a heat-resisting and light-weighted paved floor for the vehicle. The vibration-absorbing and fire-resisting floor of the present invention constructed as described above has the excellent performance as previously mentioned, from which the life of the floor construction is greatly extended, maintenance cost is reduced, residing properties are increased, and it has non-combustible properties because of exclusion of air from the outside, and thus, the fire-resisting floor of the invention is most suitable for the floor construction used in vehicles, vessels and the like.

Cement used in the present invention includes, in addition to ordinary portland cement, slag cement and alumina cement for blast furnaces or the like.

Synthetic resin elastic material used in the present invention includes epoxy group or urethane group, and the method of use thereof is well-known. In the present invention, however, the optimum conditions are clarified by means of various examples described hereinafter. Further, kaolinite clay (Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, 2SiO.sub.2, 2H.sub.2 O) used in the present invention principally includes kaolin material, serinite, montmorillonite, silicic acid, iron oxide, alkali earth, oxides, etc. Such material is baked at high temperature of about 1,200.degree. C., interior of which is a porous body of single foam, which floats in water, with specific gravity in the range of from 0.4 to 0.8, has properties of water absorbing rate 0.7-8.0%, bending strength 140-280 kg/cm.sup.2, and tensile strength 164-311 kg/cm.sup.2 is hard to be soluble in acid (solubility when boiled in undiluted sulfuric acid or undiluted nitric acid is less than 2%), and is never softened even if heated up to 100.degree. C., whereby it has good fire-resistance and is hard to propagate heat.

The mineral baking porous bodies used in the middle layer are used in the form of globular or lump form, to which however is mixed expansible shale, pearl stone, obsidian, sandstone and the like. It is noted that the kaolinite fireclay baking porous bodies may be used in the form of powder when they are mixed into cement for the upper coating.

The metal plates for the floor used in the present invention include those sections (a), (b), (c), and (d) as shown in FIG. 3, and for use with vehicles or the like, the section (d) is particularly desirable.

Next, Examples of the present invention will be further described in detail.

(1) Lower layer to form a synthetic resin elastic body on the metal plate for a floor, constituents shown in Table 1 are repeatedly coated thereon to finish it into a sheet of thickness 1-5 mm. That is, P.sub.1, P.sub.2, P.sub.3, P.sub.4 and P.sub.5 are respectively optimum examples. The composition may be suitably changed as the case may be. Also, plasticizer, catalyzer, pigment or the like may be suitably added.

In each of examples, coating may be applied with viscosity of from 6000 cp to 12000 cp, and the properties after hardened are as follows:

1. There is rubber elasticity.

2. Rate of elongation: More than 50%

3. Shore hardness: 40 to 70 degrees

4. Rate of thermal contraction: Less than 1.5% at 80.degree. C..times.6 hours

(2) Middle layer

Constituents given in Table 2 are coated on the lower layer.

(3) Top layer

Fire-resisting mortar constituents given in Table 3 are coated on the middle layer.

As described above, the present invention provides a light-weighted vibration-absorbing and fire-resisting floor for vehicles or vessels, the floor comprising a lower layer composed of a layer of epoxy or urethane synthetic resin elastic material, said layer being placed on a floor-forming base plate such as metal plate in a sheet-like fashion; a middle layer composed such that a surface of porous globular lumps formed by baking, at high temperature, fireclay mineral of kaolinite (Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, 2SiO.sub.2, 2H.sub.2 O) and expansible mineral such as shale, sand stone or the like, it coated with the epoxy or urethane elastic synthetic resin; and a top layer composed of a fire-resisting resin mortar composition comprising a mixture of fire-resisting polymer cement, in which the porous powder and glass fibers are mixed with synthetic rubber latex, natural rubber latex or synthetic resin emulsion or the like, or urethane or epoxy elastic synthetic resin, and the porous powder or a mixture thereof with aluminum oxide or the like; said lower, middle and top layers being integrally formed one over another.