Floor Panel with Separate Clip for a Vertical Lock

Abstract

A set of floor panels includes a first floor panel having a first holding profile at a lateral edge, a second floor panel having a second holding profile at a lateral edge joinable to the first holding profile by a substantially vertically oriented downward movement of the second floor panel, and a separate L-shaped clip including a horizontal leg, a vertical leg and a detent tab adjoining an upper end of the vertical leg, the clip inserted into a clip groove of the first holding profile, the detent tab attaining a locking position for vertically locking the holding profiles during or after the downward movement of the second floor panel, such that when the clip is inserted into the clip groove, the horizontal leg generates a tensioning force by which the upper end of the vertical leg is pushed against an upper delimiting wall of the clip groove.

Claims

1. A set of floor panels comprising: a first floor panel, which has a first holding profile at a lateral edge thereof, a second floor panel which has a second holding profile at a lateral edge thereof, the second holding profile being joinable to the first holding profile by a substantially vertically oriented downward movement of the second floor panel, and a separate clip which is substantially L-shaped and includes a horizontal leg a vertical leg and a detent tab adjoining an upper end of the vertical leg, the clip adapted to be inserted into a clip groove of the first holding profile, such that the detent tab attains a locking position for vertically locking the holding profiles during or after the downward movement of the second floor panel, wherein, when the clip is inserted into the clip groove, the horizontal leg generates a tensioning force by which the upper end of the vertical leg is pushed against an upper delimiting wall of the clip groove.

2. The set of floor panels according to claim 1, wherein the clip includes a claw element at the upper end of the vertical leg, which holds on to the upper delimiting wall of the clip groove.

3. The set of floor panels according to claim 1, wherein the horizontal leg of the clip is supported with an outer end thereof against a lower delimiting wall of the clip groove.

4. The set of floor panels according to claim 3, wherein a clearance arises between an underside of the horizontal leg and the lower delimiting wall of the clip groove, which extends from the outer end of the horizontal leg to the vertical leg.

5. The set of floor panels according to claim 1, wherein the clip groove includes an outer delimiting wall against which an outer end of the horizontal leg is supported in the horizontal direction.

6. The set of floor panels according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of a length of the horizontal leg to a length of the vertical leg is between 0.8 and 1.2.

7. The set of floor panels according to claim 1, wherein an angle between the horizontal leg and the vertical leg is greater than 90° when the clip is inserted into the clip groove.

8. The set of floor panels according to claim 1, wherein the second holding profile comprises a downwardly oriented hook element.

9. The set of floor panels according to claim 8, wherein the hook element comprises an approximately vertically extending locking surface for horizontally locking the floor panels.

10. The set of floor panels according to claim 9, wherein the first holding profile includes a lower lip and an upwardly directed projection comprising an approximately vertically extending locking surface to bear directly against the locking surface of the hook element.

11. The set of floor panels according to claim 8, wherein a locking groove comprising a bearing surface for the detent tab is integrally formed into the hook element.

12. The set of floor panels according to claim 11, wherein the bearing surface has an angle of 40 to 50° with respect to an installation plane of the first and second floor panels.

13. The set of floor panels according to claim 1, wherein the first floor panel includes a third holding profile at a further lateral edge, and the second floor panel includes a fourth holding profile at a further lateral edge, the third holding profile being joinable to the fourth holding profile so as to form a vertical lock and a horizontal lock.

14. The set of floor panels according to claim 13, wherein the third holding profile and the fourth holding profile are configured such that the second floor panel is adapted to be joined simultaneously to the first floor panel and a third floor panel by a pivoting movement.

Description

[0028] The invention will be described in more detail based on an exemplary embodiment shown in the drawings. In the drawings:

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a first holding profile and a second holding profile when joined by a separate clip; and

[0030] FIG. 2 shows the clip of FIG. 1 in an unloaded state (FIGS. 2A and 2B).

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a section of a first floor panel, which is denoted by reference numeral 1. At a lateral edge, the first floor panel 1 has a first holding profile 10. The first holding profile 10 is joined to a second holding profile 30 of a second floor panel 3, of which likewise only a section is shown.

[0032] The first holding profile 10 includes a lower lip 11 and an upwardly directed projection 12 adjoining the same, which forms an approximately vertically extending locking surface 13. A separate clip or a separate locking element 50, which includes a horizontal leg 51, a vertical leg 52 and a detent tab 53, is inserted into a clip groove 14. The detent tab 53 adjoins an upper end 54 of the vertical leg 52. The upper end 54 of the vertical leg 52 bears against an upper delimiting wall 15 of the clip groove 14. The delimiting wall 15 extends horizontally here, that is, parallel to the installation plane E. An upper outer surface 1a of the first floor panel 1 and an upper outer surface 3a of the second floor element 3 are located in the installation plane E.

[0033] The clip groove 14 includes a lower delimiting wall 16 against which the horizontal leg 51 is supported. The horizontal leg 51 is supported with an outer end 55 against the lower delimiting wall 16. The vertical distance between the upper delimiting wall 15 and the lower delimiting wall 16 of the clip groove 14 is dimensioned such that the horizontal leg 51 is deformed when the clip 50 is being inserted into the clip groove. Due to the elasticity of the material of which the clip 50 is made, a tensioning force is thus generated in the horizontal leg 51, by way of which the vertical leg 52 and the detent tab 53 are pushed upward against the upper delimiting wall 15. The deformed horizontal leg 51 thus acts in the manner of a compression spring that pushes from beneath against the vertical leg 52. Due to the elastically deformed horizontal leg 51, the position of the vertical leg 52 and the position of the detent tab 53 within the groove 14, and thus the position of the detent tab 53 relative to the first holding element 10, are precisely defined. Regardless of the fact that, due to manufacturing tolerances, the distance between the upper delimiting wall 15 and the lower delimiting wall 14 may vary slightly, and regardless of the fact that the dimensions of the clip 50 may also vary slightly for manufacturing reasons, the upper end 54 and the detent tab 53 always bear with a certain pretension against the upper delimitation 15 of the clip groove 14.

[0034] In the horizontal direction, the outer end 55 of the horizontal leg 51 bears against an outer delimiting wall 17 of the clip groove 14. The outer delimiting wall 17 absorbs horizontally acting forces, which act by the inserted clip 50 onto the first holding profile 10. A claw element 56 is provided at the upper end 54 of the vertical leg 52, which prevents the upper end 54 of the vertical leg 52 and the detent tab 53 from sliding laterally out of the clip groove 14.

[0035] A clearance 18 arises between an underside of the horizontal leg 51 and the lower delimiting wall 16 of the clip groove, which extends continuously from the outer end 55 of the horizontal leg 51 to the vertical leg 52. Starting at 0 in the region of the outer end 55, a height of this clearance 18 increases continuously in the direction of the vertical leg 52. The clearance 18 illustrates that the horizontal leg 51 bears only with the outer end 55 thereof against the lower delimiting wall 16.

[0036] The clip groove 14 furthermore includes an inner delimiting wall 19 against which the vertical leg 52 bears laterally. The horizontal leg 51 thus acts also as a compression spring in the horizontal direction, by way of which the vertical leg 52 is pushed laterally against the inner delimiting wall 19. The horizontal leg 51, or more precisely, the deformation thereof when the clip 50 is inserted into the clip groove 14, ensures that the position of the vertical leg 52 with the detent tab 53 is exactly defined both in the vertical direction and in the horizontal direction, based on the outer delimiting wall 53 and the inner delimiting wall 19 of the clip groove 14.

[0037] The second holding profile 30 of the second floor panel 3 encompasses a downwardly oriented hook element 31, into which a locking groove 32 comprising a bearing surface 33 for the detent lug 53 is integrally formed. An angle of inclination of this bearing surface 53 with respect to the installation plane E here is in a range of 42 to 48°.

[0038] The second holding profile 30 moreover forms an approximately vertically extending locking surface 34, which bears against the locking surface 13 of the first holding profile 10. As a result of the cooperation of the locking surfaces 34 and 13, the holding profiles 10, 30, and thus the floor panels 1, 3, are locked with one another in the horizontal direction. The cooperation between the bearing surface 33 of the second holding profile 30 and the detent tab 53 ensures vertical locking of the holding profiles 10, 30 or floor panels 1, 3.

[0039] It shall be pointed out that the horizontal locking of the holding profiles 10, 30 by virtue of the locking surfaces 13, 34 is decoupled from the clip 50 and the positioning thereof in the clip groove 14. The outer delimiting wall 17 is thus spaced apart from the locking surface 13 in the horizontal direction. The locking surface 34 bears directly against the locking surface 13, without parts of the clip 50 being arranged between these locking surfaces 13, 34.

[0040] To join the holding profiles 10, 30, initially the first floor panel 1 is installed, so as to be located with the upper outer surface 1a thereof in the installation plane E. The second floor panel 3 is then positioned such that the second holding profile 30 is arranged precisely above the first holding profile 10. The second floor panel 3 comprising the second holding profile 30, is then moved vertically downward, wherein a lower outer corner 35 of the second holding profile 30, which includes a chamfer in the embodiment shown here, pushes against the detent tab 53. The detent tab 53 is thus pivoted in the direction of the vertical leg 52, so that the hook element 31 can be guided past the detent tab 53 further downward. At the end of the downward movement of the second floor panel 3, the detent tab 53 snaps into the locking groove 32 and ends up bearing against the locking surface 33. The downwardly oriented vertical movement of the second floor panel 3a can be a linear downward movement, or also a pivoting movement, during which the holding profiles 10, 30 are moved toward one another in a scissor-like manner, similarly to the two blades of scissors. The latter manner of joining the holding profiles 10, 30 is provided with the fold-down installation technique, which is known from WO 01/75247 A1, for example.

[0041] The first holding profile 10 is integrally formed into a core layer 1b of the first floor panel, for example by way of milling. The above-described claw element 56 digs into the material of the core layer (for example MDF, HDF, plastic such as PU or PVC, WPC, etc.). Above the core layer 1b, a decorative layer 1c is shown purely schematically, which can, in turn, be composed of different layers, such as decorative film/decorative paper, a top layer or wear layer etc. A back layer 1d, which can be made of one layer or multiple layers, is arranged beneath the core layer 1b, which is likewise only hinted at. The back layer 1d can act as a stabilizing layer for the decorative layer 1c and/or as an insulating layer. The second floor panel has the same layer design as the first floor panel (see layers 3c, 3b and 3d).

[0042] FIGS. 2A and 2B show the clip 50 alone and in a non-deformed state. In combination with FIG. 1, it is apparent that, in the non-deformed state, an angle 57 between the vertical leg 52 and the horizontal leg 51 is greater than in the state in which the clip 50 is clamped into the clip groove 14. FIG. 2B shows the center axis 58 of the non-deformed horizontal leg 51 as a dash-dotted line, and the center axis 59 of the deformed or bent horizontal leg 51 likewise as a dash-dotted line. From this, it is apparent that the horizontal leg 51 behaves similarly to a cantilever, to the outer end of which a force is applied and which accordingly undergoes deformation. When the clip 50 is clamped into the clip groove 14, the horizontal leg 51 is thus no longer rectilinear, as it is in the unloaded state, but it is curved. In this respect, the illustration of the horizontal leg 51 in FIG. 1 as a rectilinearly extending leg shall only be understood to be schematic. Rather, the horizontal leg 51, due to the forces acting thereon, is curved, as is indicated by the curved center line 59 in FIG. 2B.

[0043] In FIG. 2A, the detent tab 53 and the horizontal leg 51 are hatched in each case. As was already stated above, when the holding profiles 10, 30 are being joined, the detent tab 53 is first pivoted in the direction of the vertical leg 52, so as to then snap back again to attain the locking position. During this pivoting of the detent tab 53 in the direction of the vertical leg 52, primarily the upper end 54 of the vertical leg 52 is deformed. This elastic deformation of the upper end 54 causes the detent tab 53 to snap back into the locking groove 32. Due to its comparatively large thickness, the detent tab 53 is not or hardly deformed. Rather, it is to be designed so as to fulfill the task of the vertical locking and so as not to deform and buckle when the bearing surface 33 pushes from beneath against the detent tab 53 when the holding profiles 10, 30 are joined.

[0044] FIG. 2A also shows the length L1 for the horizontal leg 51 and the length L2 for the vertical leg 52. In one exemplary embodiment, the length L1 is in a range of 3.5 to 3.9 mm, and the length L2 is in a range of 2.9 to 3.3 mm. The ratio L1/L2 is preferably between 1 and 1.1.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0045] 1 first panel [0046] 1 a upper outer surface [0047] 1b core layer [0048] 1c decorative layer [0049] 1d back layer [0050] 3 second floor panel [0051] 3a upper outer surface [0052] 3b core layer [0053] 3c decorative layer [0054] 3d back layer [0055] 10 first holding element [0056] 11 lower lip [0057] 12 projection [0058] 13 locking surface [0059] 14 clip groove [0060] 15 upper delimiting wall [0061] 16 outer delimiting wall [0062] 18 clearance [0063] 19 inner delimiting wall [0064] 30 second holding profile [0065] 31 hook element [0066] 32 locking groove [0067] 33 bearing surface [0068] 34 locking surface [0069] 35 outer lower tip [0070] 50 clip [0071] 51 horizontal leg [0072] 52 vertical leg [0073] 53 detent tab [0074] 54 upper end [0075] 55 outer end [0076] 56 claw element/barb [0077] 57 angle [0078] 58 rectilinear center line [0079] 59 curved center line [0080] E installation plane [0081] L1 length of the horizontal leg 51 [0082] L2 length of the vertical leg 53