BUILDING ELEMENT IN PLATE SHAPE, IN PARTICULAR FLOOR COVERING PANEL, AS WELL AS FLOOR COVERING FORMED BY USING SAID BUILDING ELEMENTS, AND METHOD FOR THEIR ARRANGEMENT

Abstract

The invention relates to a building element in plate shape, in particular a floor covering panel, which, apart from a mineral carrier plate or a carrier plate of WPC, comprises an upper side wear layer as well as preferably a lower side levelling layer, as well as to a floor covering formed by using such building elements, and to a method for the arrangement thereof, wherein the side faces thereof comprise a non-locking profile for forming special joints for receiving a material for forming a connection element.

Claims

1-13. (canceled)

14. A building element in plate shape consisting essentially of: a carrier plate, at least one upper side wear layer, and optionally at least one lower side levelling layer, wherein: the building element comprises at least three side faces, at least one of the side faces comprises a non-locking profile, the carrier plate consists of at least 80% of a mineral material or a wood-synthetic material-blend, the upper side wear layer comprises wood, and the building element in plate shape is a floor covering panel.

15. The building element according to claim 14, wherein all side faces of the building element comprise the non-locking profile.

16. The building element according to claim 14, wherein the at least one lower side levelling layer is present and consists essentially of cork, cardboard, a synthetic material, or rubber.

17. The building element according to claim 14, wherein the non-locking profile comprises a recess of an upper edge of the building element with respect to a lower edge of the building element of 0.5 to 5.0 mm.

18. The building element according to claim 14, wherein the non-locking profile comprises a horizontal groove chamber extending in an inward body direction, and the horizontal groove chamber optionally comprises an undercut.

19. The building element according to claim 18, wherein at least one surface defining the horizontal groove chamber, with respect to an interface of the carrier plate, has an inclination or pitch between 0.5 degrees and 45 degrees in order to define the undercut.

20. The building element according to claim 14, wherein when two of the building elements are arranged adjacent and in contact with each other, an exposed joint having a width of 0.5 mm to 8.0 mm and optionally having a horizontal groove chamber that is spatially connected to the exposed joint is formed by the non-locking profile of at least one of the building elements at the interface of the adjacent building elements, and the exposed joint is visible on an upper side of the building element and accessible therefrom.

21. The building element according to claim 14, wherein the carrier plate has a thickness between 4 mm and 20 mm.

22. The building element according to claim 14, wherein the at least one lower side levelling layer is present and has a thickness of 1.0 mm to 3.0 mm.

23. A floor covering comprising a plurality of the building elements according to claim 14.

24. A method for arranging the floor covering according to claim 23, comprising: installing a plurality of the building elements next to each other, such that sides of adjacent building elements facing each other adjoin each other, thus forming an exposed joint, subsequently filling the exposed joint along with an optionally present horizontal groove chamber that is spatially connected to the exposed joint, with a joint-filling material, which hardens after being applied, and subsequently allowing the joint-filling material to harden.

25. The building element according to claim 14, wherein the wood-synthetic material-blend is a wood-plastic-composite.

26. The building element according to claim 15, wherein the non-locking profiles are identical.

27. The building element according to claim 19, wherein the inclination or pitch is between 2 degrees and 20 degrees.

28. The building element according to claim 20, wherein the exposed joint has a width between 3.0 mm and 6.0 mm.

29. The building element according to claim 21, wherein the carrier plate has a thickness between 6 mm and 12 mm.

30. A floor covering comprising a plurality of the building elements according to claim 20, wherein two adjacent building elements in contact with each other form the exposed joint optionally having the horizontal groove chamber, and the exposed joint optionally having the horizontal groove chamber is completely filled up with a hardened joint-filling material.

31. The floor covering according to claim 30, wherein the joint-filling material is dispersion-based, epoxy resin-based or cement-based.

32. A method for arranging the floor covering according to claim 30, comprising: installing a plurality of the building elements next to each other, such that sides of adjacent building elements facing each other adjoin each other, thus forming the exposed joint, subsequently filling the exposed joint along with the optional horizontal groove chamber, which is spatially connected to the exposed joint, with a joint-filling material, which hardens after being applied, and subsequently allowing the joint-filling material to harden.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] With the intention of better showing the characteristics of the invention, herein below, as an example without any limitative character, some preferred embodiments are described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0023] FIG. 1 represents a cross-section of a joint between two building elements in accordance with the invention;

[0024] FIG. 2 at the same scale shows the non-locking profile provided at the side face of the building elements of FIG. 1; and

[0025] FIG. 3 gives a top view two such adjacent building elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0026] In FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the basic idea of the invention is represented. According to the illustrated preferred embodiment of the invention, each plate or panel element 20a, 20nbuilding element in plate shape, more exactly the floor covering formed of such plate-shaped building elements 20a to 20n, comprises a circumferentially similarly formed system joint 8see FIG. 3, which, due to the recess of the upper edge 5 of the building element in respect to the lower edge 4 of the building element, when laying together adjacent panels 20a, 20n forms a uniform joint chamber 8 of defined width 19, which reaches up to the upper side of the panel edges 5see FIG. 1, such that spacers of any kind in order to obtain a uniform joint can be omitted.

[0027] Each building element in plate shape 20a, 20n consists of a carrier plate 1, a wear layer 2 arranged on the carrier plate 1 and a levelling layer 3 arranged on the lower side of the carrier plate 1. Each building element in plate shape 20a, 20n comprises at least two side faces; in the embodiment example shown in the figures, four side faces 12, 13, 14 and 15.

[0028] Each of the provided side faces comprises, in the example, an identical, non-locking profile, which preferably is circumferential. For this purpose, in the embodiment example shown, the upper edge 5 is recessed in inward body direction in respect to the lower edge 4, in particular by means of a kind of recess of the vertical plane of the wear layer 2 and the vertical plane of the carrier plate 1.

[0029] Starting from this vertical plane of the carrier plate 1, a substantially horizontally arranged groove chamber 6 is extending in inward body direction.

[0030] Each groove chamber 6 comprises an upper surface or upper groove lip 16 and a lower surface or lower groove lip 17, which end in inward body direction at a substantially vertical surface 21. Each groove chamber comprises an undercut 7. In the embodiment example shown, to this aim the upper surface or upper groove lip 16 of the chamber 6 is arranged inclined in respect to the interface 18, such that the undercut 7 is created.

[0031] After finishing the panel installation, the mirrored joint shape created by adjoining adjacent panels 20a, 20n is filled up with a joint-filling material 11 hardening after application, in such a manner that the vertical section of the joint 8 as well as the groove chamber 6 formed with the undercut 7so to speak, the horizontal section of the joint 8will fill, by sufficient pressure, completely or partially with the plastic joint-filling material 11. The double hammer-shaped connection element formed after hardening of the joint-filling material 11 holds the panels 20a, 20n permanently by force-fitting as well as positive-fitting connection in the predetermined position both in a vertical direction, namely in its height location, as well as in a horizontal direction, namely in the panel plane.

[0032] Due to the lower protrusion of the panels 20a, 20n in respect to the upper edge of the panels 20a, 20n, adjacent panels 20a, 20n will meet each other at the lower side in a seamless manner and form a closed surface in respect to the subfloor. The exposed joint, in other words, has a closed configuration. The surface of the subfloor cannot become connected with the paste-like joint-filling material 11, which becomes rigid after hardening, and in this manner the complete acoustic uncoupling of the panel layer from the building structure is guaranteed.

[0033] The damage-free removal, the dismounting, respectively, of panels 20a, 20n can be performed by simply cutting open the joint 8 by means of a joint cutter or carpet knife such, that the panels 20a, 20n can be removed from the panel plane and, after cleaning the edges (side faces) from joint-filling material 11, can be inserted again in the same position. Thereafter, the joint 8 is filled with joint-filling material in a similar manner as described above.

[0034] According to the invention, the carrier plate 1 may consist at least for 80% of a mineral material, e.g., cement or gypsum or volcanic ash.

[0035] According to the invention, however, the carrier plate 1 may also consist at least for 80% of a wood-synthetic material blend (Wood Plastic Composite, WPC).

[0036] Another embodiment variant of the invention consists in that the upper side wear layer 2 comprises or consists of linoleum, of cork, of a multi-layer decor film, of polyurethane, of acrylate, of epoxy resin, of a filler or of wood.

[0037] According to another embodiment variant of the invention, the levelling layer 3 of the lower side comprises or consists of cork, of cardboard, of synthetic material or of rubber.

[0038] According to preferred embodiments of the invention, the recess of the upper edge 5 of the side face 12, 13, 14, 15 in respect to its lower edge 4 has a value lying between 0.5 mm and 5 mm;

[0039] In order to form the undercut 7 in the groove chamber 6, the value for the inclination, the pitch, respectively, of at least one of the surfaces 16, 17 forming the groove chamber 6 is between 0.5 degrees and 45 degrees, advantageously between 2 degrees and 20 degrees.

[0040] The width 18 of the exposed joint 8 is between 0.5 mm and 8.0 mm, preferably between 3.0 mm and 6.0 mm.

[0041] The thickness 9 (gauge) of the carrier plate 1 is between 4 mm and 20 mm, advantageously between 6 mm and 12 mm.

[0042] The lower side levelling layer 3 has a thickness 10 (gauge) between 1.0 mm and 3.0 mm.

[0043] The joint-filling material 11, which hardens after application, may be dispersion-based or epoxy resin-based or cement-based.

[0044] The invention also relates to a method for arranging a floor covering with a plurality of building elements 20a, . . . 20n, which correspond at least to one of the embodiment variants of the invention, wherein at least the process steps are provided of [0045] Installing a plurality of building elements 20a-20n next to each other, such that side faces of adjacent building elements 20a-20n facing each other are adjoining each other, such that, thus, an exposed joint (8) is formed, [0046] and subsequent filling of this exposed joint 8 along with the possible groove chambers 6, which are spatially connected to the exposed joint 8, with a joint-filling material 11, which hardens after being applied, [0047] as well as subsequent waiting time for hardening the joint-filling material (11).

[0048] The method according to the invention, for its further shaping, also comprises at least one of the further process steps disclosed in the application documents.

[0049] So to speak, the invention relates to a plate shaped building element, in particular a floor covering panel, which, apart from a mineral carrier plate or a carrier plate of WPC, comprises an upper side wear layer as well as preferably a lower side levelling layer, as well as to a floor covering in which such building elements are applied, and to a method for arranging those, wherein the side faces thereof comprise a, possibly identical, non-locking profile in order to form special joints for receiving a material for forming a connection element.

[0050] The present invention is in no way limited to the herein above-described embodiments, on the contrary may such building elements and methods be realized without leaving the scope of the present invention

REFERENCE LIST

[0051] 1 Carrier plate [0052] 2 Wear layer [0053] 3 Levelling layer [0054] 4 Lower edge [0055] 5 Upper edge [0056] 6 Horizontal groove chamber [0057] 7 Undercut [0058] 8 Exposed joint [0059] 9 Thickness of carrier plate [0060] 10 Thickness of levelling layer [0061] 11 Joint-filling material [0062] 12 Side face [0063] 13 Side face [0064] 14 Side face [0065] 15 Side face [0066] 16 Upper surface of groove chamber (Pos. 6) [0067] 17 Lower surface of groove chamber (Pos. 6) [0068] 18 Interface (Between Pos. 1 and Pos. 2) [0069] 19 Width of exposed joint [0070] 20a Building element (in plate shape; floor covering panel) [0071] 20n n-th building element (in plate shape; floor covering panel) [0072] 21 vertical surface of the groove chamber (Pos. 6)