SEEP-RESISTANT PANEL

Abstract

Disclosed is a panel for covering a surface of a room, having a panel element, which extends in a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction, for transferring use loads introduced from a top side of the panel element to a bottom side of the panel element facing the surface of the room, wherein the top side is spaced from the bottom side in a thickness direction, and having a locking hook, projecting from the panel element in the longitudinal direction, for latching into a receiving groove of another panel, wherein an end face reference plane of an end face of the panel element extending away from the locking hook is inclined relative to the thickness direction, thereby forming an obtuse angle with the locking hook. The obtuse angle between the locking hook and the end face reference plane allows for a seep-resistant and fracture-proof panel.

Claims

1. A panel for covering a surface of a room, comprising: a panel element extending in a longitudinal direction and in a transverse direction for transferring use loads introduced at a top side of the panel element to a bottom side of the panel element facing the surface of the room, wherein the top side is spaced apart from the bottom side in a thickness direction; and a locking hook projecting from the panel element in the longitudinal direction for latching into a receiving groove of a further panel, wherein an end face reference plane of an end face of the panel element extending away from the locking hook extends obliquely in the thickness direction while forming an obtuse angle with the locking hook.

2. The panel according to claim 1, wherein the obtuse angle between the locking hook and the end face reference plane is constant or varies with a constant slope in the transverse direction.

3. The panel according to claim 1, wherein a bearing face of the locking hook facing the further panel merges into the end face via a rounding.

4. The panel according to claim 3, wherein the rounding forms a part 25 of a receiving pocket extending from the end face reference plane for receiving a projecting latching bump of the further panel.

5. The panel according to claim 1, wherein the end face comprises at least three receiving pockets extending from the end face reference plane for respectively receiving a projecting locking bump of the further panel, wherein in particular the end face comprises at least two locking bumps projecting from the end face reference plane for respectively engaging into a corresponding receiving pocket of the further panel.

6. The panel according to claim 1, wherein the end face comprises receiving pockets arranged alternately in the thickness direction and extending from the end face reference plane for respectively receiving a projecting latching bump of the further panel and latching bumps projecting from the end face reference plane for engaging respectively into a corresponding receiving pocket of the further panel, wherein in at least one cross-sectional plane in the transverse direction the receiving pockets merge directly into the latching bumps, in particular only via one inflection point of a cross-sectional profile of the end face lying in the end face reference plane.

7. The panel according to claim 1, wherein the obtuse angle α is 90°<α≤115°, in particular 91°≤α≤105°, preferably 92°≤α≤100° and particular preferably α=95°±2°.

8. The panel according to claim 1, wherein a tongue body projecting from the panel element in the longitudinal direction is provided for receiving, in particular without play, a locking hook of a further panel which can be latched in a receiving groove formed with the aid of the tongue body and/or the panel element, wherein a tongue end face reference plane of a tongue end face of the tongue body facing away from the panel element extends inclined to the thickness direction while forming an acute angle with a contact surface of the tongue body facing the locking hook.

9. A panel for covering a surface of a room, comprising a panel element extending in a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction for transferring use loads introduced at a top side of the panel element to a bottom side of the panel element facing the surface of the room, wherein the top side is spaced apart from the bottom side in a thickness direction; and a tongue body projecting from the panel element in the longitudinal direction for receiving, in particular without play, a locking hook of a further panel which can be latched into a receiving groove formed with the aid of the tongue body and/or the panel element, wherein a tongue end face reference plane of a tongue end face of the tongue body facing away from the panel element extends inclined with respect to the thickness direction, while forming an acute angle with the contact surface of the tongue body facing the locking hook.

10. The panel according to claim 8, wherein the contact surface of the tongue body merges into the tongue end face via a counter-rounding.

11. The panel according to claim 8, wherein the acute angle β is 65°≤β<90°, in particular 75°≤β≤89°, preferably 75°≤β≤88° and particularly preferably β=85°±2°.

12. The panel according to claim 8, wherein the tongue end face comprises an overlap extension projecting from the tongue end face reference plane for covering a joint formed between the tongue end face and the end face of the latched further panel and extending between the overlap extension and the locking hook of the further panel.

13. The panel according to claim 12, wherein the panel element comprises a core and a decorative layer forming the top side and connected to the core, wherein the core and the decorative layer are made of different materials, wherein the overlap extension is formed at least partially, in particular completely, from the decorative layer.

14. The panel according to claim 12, wherein the overlap extension is configured such that the overlap extension is pressed against the further panel with a pressing force in a state in which the panel is latched to the further panel.

15. The panel according to claim 12, wherein the overlap extension is configured such that the overlap extension forms a lip seal in a state in which the panel is latched to the further panel.

16. The panel according to claim 9, wherein the contact surface of the tongue body merges into the tongue end face via a counter-rounding.

17. The panel according to claim 9, wherein the acute angle β is 65°≤β<90°, in particular 75°≤β≤89°, preferably 75°≤β≤88° and particularly preferably β=85°±2°.

18. The panel according to claim 9, wherein the tongue end face comprises an overlap extension projecting from the tongue end face reference plane for covering a joint formed between the tongue end face and the end face of the latched further panel and extending between the overlap extension and the locking hook of the further panel.

19. The panel according to claim 18, wherein the panel element comprises a core and a decorative layer forming the top side and connected to the core, wherein the core and the decorative layer are made of different materials, wherein the overlap extension is formed at least partially, in particular completely, from the decorative layer.

20. The panel according to claim 18, wherein the overlap extension is configured such that the overlap extension is pressed against the further panel with a pressing force in a state in which the panel is latched to the further panel.

Description

DRAWINGS

[0034] The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0035] In the following, the disclosure will be explained by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings based on preferred exemplary embodiments, wherein the features shown below may each individually or in any combination represent an aspect of the disclosure. In the figures:

[0036] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of an end face of a panel;

[0037] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of an opposite end face of the panel of FIG. 1;

[0038] FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of two panels interlocked with each other;

[0039] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of end faces of panels yet to be interlocked with each other according to another embodiment;

[0040] FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of the panels from FIG. 4 in the interlocked state;

[0041] FIG. 6 is a schematic detailed view of a panel from FIG. 4; and

[0042] FIG. 7 is a schematic detailed view of the panels from FIG. 5.

[0043] Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0045] The panel 10 shown in FIG. 1 can be used in particular for covering a surface of a room. For this purpose, the panel 10 comprises a panel element 12 based on a cuboid shape, which has long sides extending in the longitudinal direction 14 and short sides extending in the transverse direction and a thickness extending in the thickness direction 16. The long sides and the short sides delimit a top side 18 and a bottom side 20 of the panel element 12, which are spaced apart from one another via the thickness of the panel element 12 and, in particular, extend parallel to one another. A locking hook 22 formed integrally with the panel element 12 projects from the short side of the panel element 12 in the longitudinal direction 14, wherein the locking hook 12 has a material thickening 26 spaced from the panel element 12 via a web 24. A bottom side of the locking hook 22 facing away from the material thickening 26 in the thickness direction can be connected to the bottom side 20 of the panel element 12 without a step and merge into the latter.

[0046] Adjacent to the web 28 of the locking hook 22 is an end face 30 at the short side of the panel element 12, which in the illustrated exemplary embodiment is irregularly shaped in order to increase the seep resistance against penetrating liquid. The end face 30 comprises receiving pockets 32 and latching bumps 34 alternately arranged in the thickness direction. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, three receiving pockets 32 and two latching bumps 34 are provided, which merge into one another essentially without a step and without a plateau formed therebetween, resulting in a corrugated cross-sectional profile for the end face 30. The end face 30 terminates near the top side 18 of the panel element 12 at an edge-smoothing chamfer 36 and merges in the region of the connection of the locking hook 22 via a rounding 38 into a bearing surface 39 of the web 28. The rounding 38 here simultaneously forms a part of the receiving pocket 32 adjoining the locking hook 22.

[0047] The cross-sectional profile of the end face 30 can oscillate about a centerline that defines an end face reference plane 40 for the end face 30. If the end face 30 would not comprise receiving pockets 32 and latching bumps 24, the end face 30 would coincide with the end face reference plane 40. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the orientation of the end face reference plane 40 may be determined by the inflection points of the cross-sectional profile of the end face 30 formed in the transition between successive receiving pockets 32 and latching bumps 34 and lying in the end face reference plane 40. The end face reference plane 40 is not oriented perpendicular to the top side 18 and to the bottom side 20, but is oriented somewhat inclined to the thickness direction 16, so that an obtuse angle α of more than 90° is formed between the web 28 of the locking hook 24 and the end face reference plane 40. Due to the obtuse angle α and the rounding 38 having an arc length of below π/2, notching effects can be reduced and a bending elasticity of the locking hook 24 can be increased, thereby reducing the risk of a mechanical damage to the locking hook 24.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 2, the panel 10 may be configured correspondingly at the opposite short side so that substantially identically configured panels may be interlocked with one another via a tongue-and-groove connection at their end faces. A tongue body 42, which can be elastically bent away from the locking hook 26 of another 5 panel 10, can protrude in the longitudinal direction from the panel element 12, wherein the tongue body forms a receiving groove 44 for receiving the material thickening 26 of the locking hook 24 between the panel element 12 and the tongue body 42 formed integrally with the panel element 12. The receiving groove 44 can be delimited at the one side by a first clamping surface 46 of the panel body 12 and at the other side by a second clamping surface of the tongue body 42, wherein the material thickening 26 of the locking hook 24 can be clamped between the clamping surfaces 46, 48, in particular by means of a press fit. The clamping surfaces 46, 48 can be connected to one another via an arcuate surface 50 of the tongue body 42 extending at a distance from the material thickening 26 inserted into the receiving groove 44. The tongue body 42 may have a contact surface 52 facing to the bearing surface 39 of the web 28 of the locking hook 24, which can form a stop acting in the thickness direction 16 for the tongue-and-groove-connection formed by the locking hook 24 inserted into the receiving groove 42. In the finally interlocked state, a clearance may exist between the contact surface 52 of the tongue body 42 and the bearing surface 39 of the web 28 of the locking hook 24.

[0049] The tongue body 42 comprises a tongue end face 54 facing the end face 30 of the panel element 12 which is also irregularly shaped. The tongue end face 54 comprises receiving pockets 32 and latching bumps 34 arranged alternately in the thickness direction, wherein two receiving pockets 32 and three latching bumps 34 are provided in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2, which merge into one another essentially without a step and without a plateau formed therebetween. The tongue end face 54 also terminates near the top side 18 of the panel element 12 at an edge-smoothing chamfer 36 and merges via a counter-rounding 56 into the contact surface 52.

[0050] Similar to the shaping of the end face 30, the cross-sectional profile of the tongue end face 54 may oscillate about a centerline that defines a tongue end face reference plane 58 for the tongue end face 54. If the tongue end face 54 would not comprise receiving pockets 32 and latching bumps 24, the tongue end face 54 would coincide with the tongue end face reference plane 58. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the orientation of the tongue end face reference plane 58 can be determined by the points of inflection of the cross-sectional profile of the tongue end face 54 which are formed in the transition between the successive receiving pockets 32 and latching bumps 34 and which lie in the tongue end face reference plane 58. The tongue end face reference plane 58 is not oriented perpendicular to the top side 18 and the bottom side 20 but is slightly inclined to the thickness direction 16, so that an acute angle R of less than 90° is formed between the contact surface 52 and the tongue end face reference plane 40.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 3, the angle α and the angle R complement each other to 180°, so that the end face reference plane 40 of one panel coincides with the tongue end face reference plane 40 of the other panel 10. The respective cooperating receiving pockets 32 and latching bumps 34 of the end face 30 and the tongue end face 54 can here engage into one another elastically and/or plastically deformed and achieve a waterproof seal.

[0052] The panels 10 shown in FIG. 4 correspond completely to the panels 10 shown in FIG. 3 with the exception that the panel 10 shown on the left side has a protruding overlap extension 60 on its tongue end face 54, which is shown in detail in FIG. 6. In particular, the overlap extension 60 may be formed at the distal lower end of the chamfer 36. Preferably, the chamfer 36 merges without a step into a surface of the overlap extension 60. As shown in FIG. 7, the overlap extension 60 may extend somewhat over the further panel 10, thereby covering a joint 62 formed between the tongue end face 54 of the panel 10 and the end face 30 of the further panel 10. As shown in FIG. 7, the overlap extension 60 can be pressed against the further panel 10, in particular against the chamfer 36 of the further panel 10 and form a lip seal. The overlap extension 60 and the optionally provided chamfer 36 can in particular be part of a decorative layer applied to a core of the panel element 12, so that the overlap extension 60 can also conceal a color change between the decorative layer and the core occurring in the joint 62.

[0053] The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are inter-changeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.