Mechanical locking system for floor panels

Abstract

Floor panels are shown, which are provided with a vertical locking system on short edges including a displaceable tongue that is displaced in one direction into a tongue groove during vertical displacement of two panels. Building panels provided with a locking system for vertical locking of a first and a second building panel by a vertical displacement of the panels relative each other, a displaceable tongue is in a sidewardly open displacement groove provided at an edge of a first panel, said tongue cooperates with a tongue groove provided at an adjacent edge of a second panel for locking the edge and the adjacent edge vertically.

Claims

1. A displaceable tongue for locking an edge of a first building panel and an adjacent edge of a second building panel vertically, the displaceable tongue being configured to be arranged in a sidewardly open displacement groove provided at an edge of the first building panel, wherein the displaceable tongue has a longitudinal extent and a transverse extent, said longitudinal extent being larger that said transverse extent, wherein the displaceable tongue comprises a pulling extension at a transversely outer portion of the displaceable tongue, the pulling extension being configured to cooperate with a pulling protrusion formed at the adjacent edge of the second building panel such that the displaceable tongue is pulled out from the sidewardly open displacement groove and into a tongue groove provided at the adjacent edge of the second building panel when the edge of the first building panel and the edge of the second building panel are displaced vertically relative to each other; and wherein the displaceable tongue comprises a locking hook, and further comprises a cavity formed at a tongue section of the displaceable tongue, wherein the locking hook protrudes into the cavity.

2. The displaceable tongue of claim 1, wherein the locking hook is configured to serve as a friction connection.

3. The displaceable tongue of claim 1, wherein the locking hook is configured to prevent the displaceable tongue from falling out from the displacement groove after locking of the building panels.

4. The displaceable tongue of claim 1, wherein the locking hook is configured to prevent the displaceable tongue from sliding back into the displacement groove after locking of the building panels.

5. The displaceable tongue of claim 1, wherein the locking hook is configured to lock against an upper or lower part of the displacement groove.

6. The displaceable tongue of claim 1, wherein the locking hook is configured to slide against a bevel formed at the displacement groove.

7. The displaceable tongue of claim 1, wherein the locking hook is configured to lock against an outer portion of the sidewardly open displacement groove.

8. The displaceable tongue of claim 1, wherein the locking hook comprises a hook part configured to press the hook connection upwards by rails during an insertion of the displaceable tongue into the displaceable groove.

9. The displaceable tongue of claim 1, wherein the cavity is formed in the pulling extension.

10. The displaceable tongue of claim 1, wherein the displaceable tongue comprises a polymer material.

11. The displaceable tongue of claim 1, wherein the displaceable tongue is formed by injection moulding.

12. The displaceable tongue of claim 1, wherein the pulling protrusion is inclined in relation to a main horizontal plane of the first and second building panels when the displaceable tongue is arranged in the sidewardly open displacement groove.

13. The displaceable tongue of claim 1, wherein the pulling extension has a constant thickness.

14. The displaceable tongue of claim 1, wherein the pulling extension increases in thickness in a direction toward an outermost portion of the pulling extension.

15. The displaceable tongue of claim 1, comprising a plurality of pulling extensions at the transversely outer portion of the displaceable tongue.

16. The displaceable tongue of claim 1, wherein displaceable tongue is bendable in a longitudinal direction of the displaceable tongue.

17. The displaceable tongue of claim 1, wherein the pulling extension extends upwards when the displaceable tongue is arranged in the sidewardly open displacement groove.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The disclosure will in the following be described in connection to exemplary embodiments and in greater detail with reference to the appended exemplary drawings, wherein:

(2) FIGS. 1a-1d illustrate locking systems according to known technology;

(3) FIGS. 2a-2e illustrate a short edge locking system according to the disclosure;

(4) FIGS. 3a-3c illustrate a short edge locking system according to preferred embodiments of the disclosure;

(5) FIGS. 4a-4c illustrate preferred embodiments of short edge locking systems with a separate strip;

(6) FIGS. 5a-5e illustrate a locking system according to an embodiment of the disclosure with a locking hook that prevents unlocking;

(7) FIGS. 6a-6d illustrate a tongue according to an embodiment of the disclosure with increased flexibility related to bending in length direction;

(8) FIGS. 7a-7d illustrate a method according to an embodiment of the disclosure to insert a tongue into a groove; and

(9) FIGS. 8a-8c illustrate an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(10) To facilitate understanding, several locking systems in the figures are shown schematically. It should be emphasized that improved or different functions may be achieved using combinations of the embodiments.

(11) All embodiments may be used separately or in combinations. Angles, dimensions, rounded parts, spaces between surfaces etc. are only examples that may be adjusted within the basic principles of the disclosure.

(12) FIGS. 2a-2e show a first preferred embodiment of a short edge locking system provided with a flexible and displaceable tongue 30 in an edge of a first panel 1 inserted in a horizontally extending displacement groove 40. The displaceable tongue 30 has a pulling extension 31 comprising a tongue pulling surface 32 and tongue locking surface 33. The second adjacent panel 1′ has a pulling protrusion 21 with a groove pulling surface 22 that is also a part of a tongue groove 20 comprising a groove locking surface 23. The pulling surfaces 22, 32 cooperate during the vertical displacement and pull the displaceable tongue 30 into a tongue groove 20. The pulling extension 31 comprises a tongue locking surface 33 that locks against a groove locking surface 23 and prevents vertical displacement of the edges in a first vertical direction. A locking strip 6 and a lower part 39 of the adjacent panel locks the edges in a second vertical direction. A locking element 8 and a locking groove 14 locks the edges horizontally together with the upper edges. The vertical connection may be used without the horizontal locking as shown by FIG. 2e. Short edges may be locked horizontally by, for example, friction between long edges.

(13) The tongue may be attached into a displacement groove 40 formed on the panel comprising the strip 6, the strip panel, or on the panel comprising the locking groove, the groove panel, as shown in FIGS. 3a-3c. The pulling protrusion 21 may extend upwardly or downwardly and the displacement groove may be inclined against the horizontal plane HP.

(14) FIGS. 4a-4c show that the strip 6 may be formed as a separate material. The pulling protrusion 21 may be flexible and this may eliminate production tolerances and facilitate the displacement of the tongue 30 into the tongue groove 20 during folding.

(15) FIGS. 5a-5e show that the displaceable tongue 30 may comprise a locking hook 34 that may serve as a friction connection to prevent the tongue 30 from falling out from the groove 40 but also to prevent the tongue from sliding back after locking. The locking angle A1 is preferably about 45 degrees or higher. A higher angle facilitates displacement into the tongue groove 20 but also backward displacement. This may be prevented by a hook connection 34 that preferably locks against an upper or lower part of the displacement groove 40. The hook connection is pressed into the groove by a hammer that inserts the tongue 30 into the groove 40 during production. The hook 34 slides against a bevel formed at the displacement groove 40 as shown in FIG. 5c. The upper part of the locking element 8 is preferably located vertically below the tongue locking surface 33 as shown in FIG. 5d. This gives a stronger locking. The locking system may have a geometry that allows locking and unlocking with angling.

(16) FIGS. 6a-6c show that the displaceable tongue 30 turns and bends in the length direction during folding when an inner short edge of the tongue, as shown in FIG. 6b is in locked position and an outer short edge of the tongue 30 is in unlocked position as shown in FIG. 6d. The locking function may be improved if cavities 35 are formed on the displaceable tongue 30. Locking may also be improved if the locking surface 32 at an edge has a lower angle than at an inner part as shown in FIGS. 6b and 6c. The cavities 35 may be formed at tongue section where the locking hooks 34 are formed. The displaceable tongue 30 comprises preferably a polymer material and is preferably formed by injection molding.

(17) FIGS. 7a-7d show that the locking hook 34 may comprise a hook part 34a that is used to press the hook connection upwards by inserting rails 36 during the insertion of the tongue into the displacement groove 40.

(18) FIGS. 8a-8c show that the locking hook 34 may be used to prevent unlocking in any locking system where a tongue is displace in a groove from an inner position to an outer position. The shown locking system comprises pushing protrusions 38 located in pushing cavities 37. The pushing protrusions slide against the locking element 8 and push the tongue 30 into a tongue groove 20. The locking element 8 is preferably located vertically below the cooperating locking surfaces 23,33 of the tongue 30 and the tongue groove 20.