Panel and Method of Producing Such a Panel

Abstract

The present invention relates to panel, in particular a floor panel, a wall panel, or a ceiling panel, comprising a core layer, comprising a mineral or a cementitious material and at least one reinforcing layer situated in said core layer; wherein the panel, in particular the core layer, comprises a first pair of opposite edges, wherein a first edge of said first pair of opposing edges comprises a first coupling part, and wherein a second edge of said first pair of opposing edges comprises a complementary second coupling part, said coupling parts allowing a plurality of panels to be mutually coupled, wherein the first coupling part comprises a sideward tongue extending in a direction substantially parallel to a plane defined by the panel, and wherein the second coupling part comprises a groove configured for accommodating at least a part of the sideward tongue of another panel, said groove being defined by an upper lip and a lower lip.

Claims

1. A panel, in particular a floor panel, a wall panel, or a ceiling panel, comprising: a core layer, comprising a mineral or a cementitious material; at least one reinforcing layer situated in said core layer; wherein the panel, in particular the core layer, comprises a first pair of opposite edges, wherein a first edge of said first pair of opposing edges comprises a first coupling part, and wherein a second edge of said first pair of opposing edges comprises a complementary second coupling part, said coupling parts allowing a plurality of panels to be mutually coupled; wherein the first coupling part comprises a sideward tongue extending in a direction substantially parallel to a plane defined by the panel, and wherein the second coupling part comprises a groove configured for accommodating at least a part of the sideward tongue of another panel, said groove being defined by an upper lip and a lower lip, wherein: at least one reinforcing layer extends in a direction substantially parallel to the plane defined by the panel, such that said reinforcing layer is situated at a level between 30 and 70 percent, more in particular between 40 and 60 percent, and preferably halfway, of the thickness from: the top surface of the panel to a highest part of the top surface of the tongue, and/or the bottom surface of the panel to a lowest part of the upper surface of the lower lip.

2. The panel according to claim 1, comprising at least two reinforcing layers, wherein the first reinforcing layer is situated in the core, extending parallel to the plane of the panel, situated at a level between 30 and 70 percent, more in particular between 40 and 60 percent, and preferably halfway of the thickness of the tongue from the top surface of the core to the highermost bottom surface of the protrusion forming the tongue, and/or wherein a second reinforcing layer is situated in the core, extending parallel to the plane of the panel, situated at a level between 30 and 70 percent, more in particular between 40 and 60 percent, and preferably halfway of the thickness from the bottom surface of the core to the lowermost top surface of the protrusion forming the groove.

3. The panel according to claim 1, wherein at least one reinforcing layer forms integral part of the core layer.

4. The panel according to claim 3, wherein the core layer has a top surface and a bottom surface, and wherein the remaining material at the location of the tongue or the groove extends to the top surface or the bottom surface.

5. The panel according to claim 4, wherein at least one reinforcing layer comprises mesh, sheet, or web material.

6. The panel according to claim 5, wherein at least one reinforcing layer has a flexibility that is higher than the flexibility of the core layer.

7. The panel according to claim 6, wherein at least one reinforcing layer comprises fiberglass, polypropylene, cotton, PET, silica and/or nylon.

8. The panel according to claim 7, wherein the core layer comprises MgO, Magnesium Oxy Chloride, Magnesium Oxy Sulfate, MgCl2, MgSO4, and/or MgCO3 and/or a binder.

9. The panel according to claim 8, wherein wherein the core layer comprises at least 70% in weight of MgO, Magnesium Oxy Chloride, Magnesium Oxy Sulfate, MgCl2, MgSO4, and/or MgCO3 and a binder.

10. The panel according to claim 9, wherein the core layer has a thickness between 3 and 8 mm, in particular between 5 and 6 mm.

11. The panel according to claim 10, wherein the smallest thickness of the tongue or groove is between 1 and 3 mm.

12. The panel according to claim 11, wherein the complementary coupling parts are configured to form a click connection.

13. The panel according to claim 12, comprising a laminate of said core layer and at least one of: a decorative top layer; an acoustic dampening layer; a balancing layer.

Description

[0025] The invention will now be elucidated into more detail with reference to the following figures:

[0026] FIG. 1, showing a core of a panel according to the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 2, showing a core of a panel according to the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 3, showing a core of a panel according to the present invention.

[0029] FIG. 4, showing a core of a panel according to the present invention.

[0030] FIG. 5, showing a core of a panel according to the present invention.

[0031] FIG. 1 shows two sides of a panel 1, in particular a floor panel 1, comprising a core layer 2, comprising a mineral or a cementitious material, at least one reinforcing layer 6, 7 situated in said core layer, wherein the floor panel, in particular the core layer, comprises a first pair of opposite edges, said first pair of opposite edges comprising interlocking coupling parts allowing to mutually couple of plurality of floor panels to each other, wherein the interlocking coupling parts are formed as a tongue 9 and a groove 3 by local removal of material at the respective edge. Further, the reinforcing layers 6, 7 extends in a direction substantially parallel to the plane defined by the panel, such that said reinforcing layer is situated at a level between 30 and 70 percent, more in particular between 40 and 60 percent, and preferably halfway, of the thickness from the top surface of the panel to a highest part of the top surface of the tongue, and/or the bottom surface of the panel to a lowest part of the upper surface of the lower lip. In particular, each reinforcing layer 6, 7, is situated halfway the smallest thickness 4, 5 of the remaining core layer material at the location of the tongue or the groove. The core has a top surface 9 and a bottom surface 8, and the remaining material at the location of the tongue or the groove extends to the top surface or the bottom surface.

[0032] FIG. 2 shows two sides of a panel 21, in particular a floor panel 21, comprising a core layer 22, comprising a mineral or a cementitious material, at least one reinforcing layer 26, 27 situated in said core layer, wherein the floor panel, in particular the core layer, comprises a first pair of opposite edges, said first pair of opposite edges comprising interlocking coupling parts allowing to mutually couple of plurality of floor panels to each other, wherein the interlocking coupling parts are formed as a tongue 290 and a groove 23 by local removal of material at the respective edge. The reinforcing layer 26, 27, is situated halfway the smallest thickness 24, 25 of the remaining core layer material at the location of the tongue or the groove. The core has a top surface 29 and a bottom surface 28, and the remaining material at the location of the tongue or the groove extends to the top surface or the bottom surface.

[0033] FIG. 3 shows two sides of a panel 31, in particular a floor panel 31, comprising a core layer 32, comprising a mineral or a cementitious material, at least one reinforcing layer 36, 37 situated in said core layer, wherein the floor panel, in particular the core layer, comprises a first pair of opposite edges, said first pair of opposite edges comprising interlocking coupling parts allowing to mutually couple of plurality of floor panels to each other, wherein the interlocking coupling parts are formed as a tongue 390 and a groove 33 by local removal of material at the respective edge. The reinforcing layer 36, 37, is situated halfway the smallest thickness 34, 35 of the remaining core layer material at the location of the tongue or the groove. The core has a top surface 39 and a bottom surface 38, and the remaining material at the location of the tongue or the groove extends to the top surface or the bottom surface.

[0034] FIG. 4 shows two sides of a panel 41, in particular a floor panel 41, comprising a core layer 42, comprising a mineral or a cementitious material, at least one reinforcing layer 46, 47 situated in said core layer, wherein the floor panel, in particular the core layer, comprises a first pair of opposite edges, said first pair of opposite edges comprising interlocking coupling parts allowing to mutually couple of plurality of floor panels to each other, wherein the interlocking coupling parts are formed as a tongue 490 and a groove 43 by local removal of material at the respective edge. The reinforcing layer 46, 47, is situated halfway the smallest thickness 44, 45 of the remaining core layer material at the location of the tongue or the groove. The core has a top surface 49 and a bottom surface 48, and the remaining material at the location of the tongue or the groove extends to the top surface or the bottom surface.

[0035] FIG. 5 shows two sides of a panel 51, in particular a floor panel 51, comprising a core layer 52, comprising a mineral or a cementitious material, at least one reinforcing layer 56, 57 situated in said core layer, wherein the panel, in particular the core layer, comprises a first pair of opposite edges, said first pair of opposite edges comprising interlocking coupling parts allowing to mutually couple of plurality of panels to each other, wherein the interlocking coupling parts are formed as a tongue 590 and a groove 53 by local removal of material at the respective edge. The reinforcing layer 56, 57, is situated halfway the smallest thickness 54, 55 of the remaining core layer material at the location of the tongue or the groove. The core layer has a top surface 59 and a bottom surface 58, and the remaining material at the location of the tongue or the groove extends to the top surface or the bottom surface.

[0036] Despite the figures showing embodiment comprising two reinforcing layers, it is also conceivable that a panel comprises one reinforcing layer, three reinforcing layers or any other number of reinforcing layers. However, preferably for all embodiments, at least one the reinforcing layer extends in a direction substantially parallel to the plane defined by the panel, such that said reinforcing layer is situated at a level between 30 and 70 percent, more in particular between 40 and 60 percent, and preferably halfway, of the thickness from the top surface of the panel to a highest part of the top surface of the tongue, and/or the bottom surface of the panel to a lowest part of the upper surface of the lower lip.

[0037] It will be apparent that the invention is not limited to the working examples shown and described herein, but that numerous variants are possible within the scope of the attached claims that will be obvious to a person skilled in the art.

[0038] The above-described inventive concepts are illustrated by several illustrative embodiments. It is conceivable that individual inventive concepts may be applied without, in so doing, also applying other details of the described example. It is not necessary to elaborate on examples of all conceivable combinations of the above-described inventive concepts, as a person skilled in the art will understand numerous inventive concepts can be (re)combined in order to arrive at a specific application.

[0039] The verb “comprise” and conjugations thereof used in this patent publication are understood to mean not only “comprise”, but are also understood to mean the phrases “contain”, “substantially consist of”, “formed by” and conjugations thereof. When it is referred to reinforcing layer also a reinforcing element can be meant, or vice versa.