Floorboards comprising a decorative edge part in a resilient surface layer

Abstract

A set of essentially identical floorboards each including a front face and a rear face extending in the horizontal plane, a core, and a surface layer, a mechanical locking system is arranged at least at two opposite edges for connecting a floorboard with an adjacent floorboard in a horizontal and a vertical direction, said mechanical locking system being configured for connecting the floorboard with the adjacent floorboard by vertical folding, wherein one of said opposite edges is provided with a horizontally extending protrusion at an upper edge, and wherein said protrusion is configured to overlap a surface groove at an upper edge of the other of said opposite edges, such that two connected and adjacent floorboards have upper overlapping edges.

Claims

1. A set of essentially identical floorboards each comprising a front face and a rear face extending in a horizontal plane, a core, a connector arranged at least at two opposite edges for connecting one of the floorboards with another floorboard in a vertical and/or horizontal direction, and a resilient surface layer possessing elastic resilience, wherein each floorboard comprises a decorative groove between the opposite edges, said decorative groove being visible when one of the floorboards is connected with another floorboard by said connector, wherein the decorative groove comprises a bottom which is essentially parallel to the front face, wherein the resilient surface layer comprises an elastic reinforcement layer providing the elastic resilience to the resilient surface layer and wherein the bottom of the decorative groove is disposed within the elastic reinforcement layer.

2. The set of essentially identical floorboards as claimed in claim 1, wherein the floorboards are moisture proof.

3. The set of essentially identical floorboards as claimed in claim 1, wherein a width of the decorative groove is larger than a thickness of the resilient surface layer.

4. The set of essentially identical floorboards as claimed in claim 1, wherein the core of each floorboard comprises a wood-based material.

5. A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the core comprises HDF, MDF, particleboard or plywood.

6. The set of essentially identical floorboards as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connector is a mechanical locking system.

7. The set of essentially identical floorboards as claimed in claim 6, wherein the mechanical locking system is formed in the edges of each floorboard.

8. The set of essentially identical floorboards as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resilient surface layer further comprises a plastic material layer.

9. The set of essentially identical floorboards as claimed in claim 8, wherein the plastic material layer includes PVC or polyethylene.

10. The set of essentially identical floorboards as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resilient surface layer further comprises a decorative layer.

11. The set of essentially identical floorboards as claimed in claim 10, wherein the decorative layer is a plastic film, a wood veneer, a cork layer or a print.

12. The set of essentially identical floorboards as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elastic reinforcement layer is a layer of the resilient surface layer positioned closest to the core of each floorboard.

13. The set of essentially identical floorboards as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resilient surface layer comprises substantially only one layer of a moisture proof material.

14. A set of essentially identical floorboards each comprising a front face and a rear face extending in a horizontal plane, a core, a connector arranged at least at two opposite edges for connecting one of the floorboards with another floorboard in a vertical and/or horizontal direction, and a resilient surface layer possessing elastic resilience, wherein each floorboard comprises a decorative groove between the opposite edges, said decorative groove being visible when one of the floorboards is connected with another floorboard by said connector, wherein the decorative groove comprises a bottom which is essentially parallel to the front face, wherein the resilient surface layer comprises a transparent wear layer, and wherein the bottom of the decorative groove is disposed within the transparent wear layer.

15. A set of essentially identical floorboards each comprising a front face and a rear face extending in a horizontal plane, a core, a connector arranged at least at two opposite edges for connecting one of the floorboards with another floorboard in a vertical and/or horizontal direction, and a resilient surface layer possessing elastic resilience, wherein each floorboard comprises a decorative groove between the opposite edges, said decorative groove being visible when one of the floorboards is connected with another floorboard by said connector, wherein the decorative groove comprises a bottom which is essentially parallel to the front face, and wherein the opposite edges comprise a sealing arrangement in the resilient surface layer.

16. The set of essentially identical floorboards as claimed in claim 15, wherein the sealing arrangement comprises a horizontally extending protrusion and a sideways open groove which are configured to cooperate with each other.

17. The set of essentially identical floorboards as claimed in claim 16, wherein the sealing arrangement comprises a sealing agent.

18. The set of essentially identical floorboards as claimed in claim 17, wherein the sealing agent comprises paraffin wax or paraffin oil.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1a shows a floorboard with a resilient surface layer and decorative groove known in the art.

(2) FIG. 1b shows a floorboard according to an embodiment of the invention.

(3) FIGS. 2a-2d show alternative embodiments of the invention.

(4) FIG. 3 shows three joined floorboards according to an embodiment of the invention.

(5) FIGS. 4a-4c show a floorboard and joined floorboards in different views according to an embodiment of the invention.

(6) FIGS. 5a, 5c show joined floorboards according to embodiments of the second aspect of the invention.

(7) FIG. 5b shows an embodiment of a floorboard, according to the first aspect provided with a sealing means according to the second aspect.

(8) FIGS. 6a-6c show joined floorboards according to embodiments of the second aspect of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(9) As represented in FIGS. 1b-4c, the first aspect of the invention relates to a set of moisture proof floorboards and flooring, provided with a resilient surface layer with a decorative groove.

(10) FIG. 1a show floorboards with decorative joint portions known in the art and described in WO 03/012224. The floorboard 1 comprises a front face 2 and a rear face 3 extending in the direction of the horizontal plane HP, a wood-based core 5 and a resilient surface layer 4 at the front face. The resilient surface layer 4 comprises three different surface layers having different functions. The upper most layer is a transparent, hard and durable wear layer 16 of plastic material, the intermediate layer is a decorative layer 17 of plastic film and the lowest layer is a reinforcement layer 18 which is made of an elastic material and which can be both moisture-proof and sound-absorbing. The decorative layer 17 of plastic film can be replaced with decorative patterns, which are printed directly on the underside of the transparent wear layer 16 or on the upper side of the elastic reinforcement layer 18. The floorboard is provided with a mechanical locking system for locking the floorboards horizontally and vertically at its long and short edges (12a, 13a, 12b, 13b) through angling and/or snapping.

(11) According to a first aspect of the invention, as represented in FIGS. 1b-4c, a floorboard 1 is to be joined with a similar floorboard 1′ at adjacent joint edges at a joint plane extending in the vertical plane VP, comprising a front face 2 and a rear face 3 extending in the horizontal plane HP, a core 5, a connecting means arranged at least at two opposite edges for connecting the floorboard with a similar floorboard 1′ in a vertical and/or horizontal direction and a resilient surface layer 4, characterized in that at least one edge of the floorboard 1 comprising a decorative groove 6 in the resilient surface layer 4 with a bottom 7 which is essentially parallel to the front face 2. If the floorboard is rectangular, preferably only one of the long edges is provided with the decorative groove; certainly it is also possible to provide one of the long and one of the short edges with the groove 7. Other shapes of the board are also possible, e.g. 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8 edges. The resilient surface layer comprises preferably a transparent wear layer 16 at the top, preferably of a plastic material, an intermediate decorative layer 17 and an elastic reinforcement layer 18 closest to the core 5. The decorative layer 17, preferably of a plastic film can be replaced with decorative patterns, which are printed directly on the underside of the transparent wear layer 16 or on the upper side of the elastic reinforcement layer 18. An alternative is that the decorative layer is a wood veneer or cork layer. According to the embodiment represented in FIG. 1b, the groove 7 is only in the transparent layer and optionally the groove is colored.

(12) Preferably the connecting means is a mechanical locking system formed at least at two opposite edges 12a, 13a, 12b, 13b. The shown mechanical locking system comprising a locking strip 15 with a locking element 9, a tongue 8 and a tongue groove 10. Other known mechanical locking systems for floorboards are also possible to use such as the tongue lock in FIGS. 4a-4c or the flexible tongue described in described in PCT/SE2005/001586. The tongue may also be replaced by a displaceable tongue 8′ arranged in a displacement grove 54, as shown in FIGS. 5b to 6c, of the type disclosed in PCT/SE2005/001586 or PCT/SE2006/001218.

(13) There are many alternatives for the number of layers in the resilient layer, the material of the layers and into which layer the groove extends. Some of the alternatives are represented in FIGS. 1b-2d.

(14) The resilient surface layer 4, illustrated in FIG. 2a, comprising a transparent surface layer 16, an intermediate decorative layer 17 and a reinforcement layer 18 closest to the core. The groove 6 extends down to the reinforcement layer and is preferably colored. If one of the layers in the resilient layer, represented in FIG. 1b-bd is of a non-water proof or moisture sensitive material, it is preferred that the groove does not extend into this layer.

(15) The resilient surface layer 4, illustrated in FIG. 2b, is substantially a transparent surface layer 16 and a reinforcement layer closest to the core 18. The groove 6 extends down to the reinforcement layer, preferably of plastic and is preferably colored.

(16) The resilient surface layer 4 illustrated in FIG. 2c, is substantially a transparent surface layer 16 and a reinforcement layer closest to the core 18. The groove 6 is only in the transparent layer and is preferably colored. The reinforcement layer is preferably of a colored plastic or a cork layer.

(17) The resilient surface layer 4 in FIG. 2d, is substantially only one layer. The groove is preferably colored.

(18) In FIG. 4b an embodiment of the invention is represented, comprising a rectangular floorboard 1 with a mechanical locking system at long 13a, 13b and short edges 12a, 12b and a decorative groove 6 along only one of the long edges and along only one of the short edges. Additional grooves 41 in the resilient surface layer, between the short edges, are provided. FIG. 4a is a cross section of the floorboard in FIG. 6b, perpendicular to the long edges, joined to similar floorboards 1′ and 1″. FIG. 4c is a cross section of the floorboard in FIG. 4b, perpendicular to the short edges, joined to similar floorboards 1′ and 1″.

(19) The wood-based core material is preferably a particle, MDF, HDF or plywood board.

(20) As non-limiting example, materials that can be used in a resilient surface layer are acrylic plastic-based materials, elastomers of synthetic rubber, urethane rubber, silicone rubber or the like, polyurethane-based hot-melt adhesive, PVC or polyethylene.

(21) The decorative groove may be made by chemical or mechanical working, preferably cutting or grinding. It is also possible to color the groove. If grinding is used it is possible to make a very shallow groove or even just change the roughness and the brightness of the surface. The grinding method is applicable also to a laminate flooring with a surface layer of resin-impregnated sheets. Another technique is to cut off a part of the resilient surface layer, or cut it to the desirable shape before attaching it to the core, and replace it with another resilient layer of different color or structure.

(22) A second aspect of the invention, as illustrated in FIG. 5a-6c, is a set of essentially identical moisture proof floorboards 1 each comprising a sealing means at an edge. Each floorboard comprises a front face and a rear face extending in the horizontal plane HP, a core, a connecting means 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 8′, 54 arranged at least at two opposite edges for connecting a floorboard with a another floorboard 1′ in a vertical and/or horizontal direction and a resilient surface layer 4. A moisture proof floorboard comprising, at an edge and in the resilient layer 4, a sealing means 51 configured to cooperate with another sealing means 52 in the resilient layer at an edge of another adjacent floorboard, to obtain a sealing.

(23) The sealing means may comprise a horizontally extending protrusion and the other sealing means may comprise a sideways open groove, as shown in FIG. 5a. In the most preferred embodiment one or both of the sealing means are provided with a sealing agent 53.

(24) In another embodiment, shown in FIG. 6a, both the sealing means 51, 52 comprise a sideways open groove provided with a sealing agent 53.

(25) In FIG. 5c an embodiment of the sealing means is illustrated comprising overlapping edges, preferably provided with a hook shaped connection 51, 52. A sealing agent 53 may also be provided.

(26) The sealing agent may comprise wax, grease, oil or bitumen. A preferred sealing agent comprises a mix of paraffin wax and paraffin oil. Another example is a micro wax and a natural or synthetic rubber strip.

(27) In FIG. 6b an embodiment of the sealing means is illustrated comprising an expandable sealing agent 53′, arranged at a sideways open groove 51 in the resilient layer 4. The sealing agent is configured to expand into a sideways open groove 52 in the resilient layer of an adjacent floor panel, as illustrated in FIG. 6c, after that the two panels are connected to each other by the connecting means. An example of an expandable sealing agent 53′ is a strip, preferably of polyurethane, provided with tape, which is removed just before the connection of the two adjacent floorboards. Other examples are materials, which expand when exposed to moisture.

(28) The first aspect of the invention, comprising a decorative groove 7, may be combined with the second aspect, comprising sealing means 51, 52, as illustrated in 5b.

(29) A second object of the invention, represented by FIGS. 3 and 4, is a flooring comprising a set of the floorboards 1, 1′, according to the first and/or second aspect, joined along adjacent edges, preferably mechanically.

(30) In the most preferred embodiment, only one of the edges 12a, 13a, 12b, 13b of the two joined and adjacent edges is provided with the decorative groove.

(31) Embodiments of the invention have mainly been described above with reference to a few embodiments. However, as is readily appreciated by a person skilled in the art, other embodiments than the ones disclosed above are equally possible within the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended patent claims.

(32) Generally, all terms used in the claims are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the technical field, unless explicitly defined otherwise herein.