The invention relates to a floor covering system comprising: an underlay for laying on a floor for covering, and an upper carpet for laying on that underlay. Such a floor covering system is known. Use is often made of underlay panels, for instance of the "Thermofelt" type. This a softboard-like material combining a certain force distributing and an insulating function. Hereon can be laid floor covering which is fixed under tension at the edges by means of hooking connections. Any loose edge portions can be fixed by means of adhesive tape strips.

Also known is fixed glueing of carpet onto ^" a floor. This system has the drawback that the carpet is very difficult to remove. The object of the invention is to provide a floor covering system which has the advantage of being very easy to remove but wherein the carpet, without adhesive joining to— the floor, can nevertheless be connected thereto in non-slip manner without a tensioning system being necessary. The floor covering system according to the invention has for this purpose the feature that the underlay is provided in advance on its lower surface with an anti-slip layer; and after laying, the underlay is provided on its upper surface with an adhesive layer for fixedly adhering an upper carpet to the underlay.

In preference the system has the feature that the underlay comprises a number of layers of non-wovens which are mutually connected, for instance by needle perforation, and subsequently compacted.

In a particular embodiment the system has the feature that a non-woven membrane is laid on the layers of non-wovens and joined to these layers, for instance by needle perforation or calendaring, such that the obtained underlay

has a more or less closed upper surface. An upper surface of the underlay is hereby obtained which absorbs little glue but which can nevertheless ensure a very good adhesion.

It is noted that the glue used depends on the material on the surfaces for mutual adhesion.

The above described embodiment can be simply obtained in that the mutual joining of the layers of non-wovens takes place for instance by needle perforation in the same production step as that in which the non-woven membrane is joined to these layers. A calendaring treatment can have the advantage that the fibres of the upper surface partially fuse together, whereby the surface is less porous.

The system preferably has the feature that the anti- slip layer is obtained by spraying up a dispersion of a rubbery substance such as latex and causing it to dry, for instance by heating.

Depending on the adhesive layer used, for instance the type of glue, use can be made of a variant wherein after laying of the upper carpet on the underlay a pressure force is applied to the upper carpet which reinforces the adhesive fixing between the ^\' upper carpet and the underlay, for instance using a roller or so-called glider.

The invention likewise relates to an underlay which is a component of a floor covering system of the above specified type. This underlay is characterized by an anti-slip layer applied to the underside thereof.

The invention will now be elucidated with reference to the annexed drawing of a random embodiment. In the drawing: figure 1 shows a highly schematic perspective view of device for manufacturing an underlay; figures 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 show respective stages in the laying of floor covering with the system according to the invention; and figure 7 shows a cross sectional view of floor coverin according to the invention.

Figure 1 shows a device 1 for manufacturing underlay.

Located in a stock 2 is a laminate consisting of a number of layers of non-wovens mutually connected by needle perforation. This laminate 3 is run together via return

roller 4 with a non-woven membrane 6 unwound from a supply roll 5. In a needle perforation station 7 a needle perforating operation takes place by means of a roller 8 provided with needles, whereby the membrane 6 is intimately connected to the laminate 3. Placed downstream in the transporting direction 9 relative to the needle perforation station 7 is a spraying station 10 where a latex dispersion is sprayed via a nozzle 11 against the lower surface of laminate 3. This dispersion is subsequently dried by means of a heating station 12 placed downstream. The thus obtained underlay is wound onto a roll 13 for storage and transport.

Due to the presence of the latex the obtained underlay 14 has an anti-slip layer on its lower surface, while its upper surface, which is obtained by arranging the non-woven membrane 6, has a rough but nevertheless more or less closed upper surface.

Figure 2 shows that strips of underlay 14 are laid on floor 15 by unrolling from the roll 13. By means of a knife 16 the excess material of the underlay 14, if any, is cut away. Underlay 14 lies in. loose strips on the floor but in practice is not slidable in relation to this floor due to the presence of the anti-slip layer. In the following phase shown in figure 3, a layer of adhesive 17 is applied to the upper surface of underlay 14. Figure 4 shows that upper carpet 18 can then be placed, at least on the part already provided with adhesive 17.

After completion of this phase an additional pressure force is applied to the upper carpet 18 by means of a heavy block 19, whereby the adhesive fixing between upper carpet 18 and underlay 14 is strengthened.

Figure 6 shows that with the knife 16 edges 20 of the upper carpet 18 which may protrude along the walls 21 or skirting boards can be cut away. After completion of the phase according to figure 6, the whole process is finished. Figure 7 shows the structure of the obtained floor covering in cross section. Lying on the floor 15 is the underlay 14 which comprises an anti-slip layer 22 which is intimately connected to the laminate 3 situated thereabove and,

intimately joined to the latter on the top, a non-woven membrane 6.

Situated on this non-woven membrane 6 is the applied glue layer 17 on which extends the backing 23 of the upper carpet 18. The piles 24 of the upper carpet 18 are connected to the backing 23.

Attention is drawn to the fact that, other than is shown in figure 7, the diverse layers cannot be strictly distinguished from each other but that they transpose into each other via transition zones. This is particularly the case for the transition between the laminate 3 and the non- woven membrane 6 and the adhesive layer 17 which extends partly in the membrane 6 and the backing 23 of upper carpet 18. If desired the finished carpet can be taken up. There is in any case no unreleasable coupling between the anti-slip layer 22 and the floor 15. However, in the case the whole carpet is taken up, the underlay 14 and the upper carpet 18 remain inseparably joined to one another.

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