Panel

Abstract

The invention relates to a panel with complementary locking means provided in pairs on opposite panel edges. One of the locking means is hook profiles with a receiving hook and a locking hook. The free step end of the locking hook is designed narrower than the width of the receiving opening of the receiving hook. The locking contour of the locking hook protrudes at least partially past the plane of the joint surface of the receiving hook so that the free step end fits into the receiving opening far enough at first that a part of the horizontal locking surface of the locking hook makes contact with the horizontal locking surface of the receiving hook during a joining motion without elastic deformation of the hook profiles, and that the receiving hook bends so that the width of the receiving opening can be expanded so that the locking step can be inserted entirely into the receiving recess and the locking contour of the locking hook is further inserted into a form-fit contour of the receiving hook.

Claims

1. A panel comprising: a body with at least one plastic layer, complementary locking means provided in pairs at mutually opposite panel edges, at least one pair of locking means with hook profiles, namely a receiving hook and in opposite relationship thereto an arresting hook, the receiving hook has, remote from the body, a hook edge and arranged nearer to the body a receiving recess, wherein the receiving recess is open towards a top side of the panel, the arresting hook has an arresting recess arranged nearer to the body and open to an underside of the panel and has an arresting step which is arranged remote from the body and which fits in a vertical joining direction into the receiving recess of the receiving hook, the arresting hook has a joining surface remote from the body and, also remote from the body, a vertically acting arresting contour, the receiving hook has a joining surface nearer to the body and, also nearer to the body, a positively locking contour which fits together in positively locking relationship with the arresting contour, that is remote from the body, of the arresting hook so that vertical locking can be implemented, the arresting hook has, arranged nearer to the body, a horizontal locking surface at the arresting step, the receiving hook, arranged remote from the body, has a horizontal locking surface in the receiving recess, formed at the receiving hook is a narrowed receiving opening through which the arresting step can be inserted substantially in the vertical joining direction into the receiving recess, a free step end of the arresting step is narrower than the width of the receiving opening of the receiving hook, the arresting contour, that is remote from the body, of the arresting hook is set back behind the plane of the joining surface of the arresting hook, the positively locking contour, that is nearer to the body, of the receiving hook projects at least partially beyond the plane of the joining surface of the receiving hook, the arresting step and the receiving opening are of a configuration that the free step end during a joining movement initially fits without elastic deformation of the hook profile into the receiving opening to such an extent that a part of the horizontal locking surface of the arresting hook makes contact with the horizontal locking surface of the receiving hook and the receiving hook has a flexural leg so adapted that the width of the receiving opening can be enlarged by elastic bendability of the flexural leg so that the arresting step can be entirely inserted into the receiving recess and also the arresting contour of the arresting hook is inserted into the positively locking contour of the receiving hook, a resilient latching tongue is provided remote from the body at the hook edge of the receiving hook, and the .[.receiving.]. .Iadd.arresting .Iaddend.recess near to the body has a latching recess which fits together with the resilient latching tongue.

2. A panel according to claim 1, wherein the resilient latching tongue is formed in one piece with the body.

3. A panel according to claim 1, wherein the resilient latching tongue is rooted at the side remote from the body of the hook edge and the free end of the resilient latching tongue projects inclinedly from the hook edge.

4. A panel according to claim 1, wherein the resilient latching tongue has a sliding surface remote from the body.

5. A panel according to claim 1, wherein provided between the resilient latching tongue and the hook edge is a free space into which the latching tongue can resiliently springingly engage.

6. A panel according to claim 1, wherein the latching recess has a latching contact surface.

7. A panel according to claim 1, wherein the latching contact surface forms an inclined abutment surface for the free end of the resilient latching tongue.

8. A panel according to claim 1, wherein the arresting step has an inclined sliding surface on its side remote from the body.

9. A panel according to claim 1, wherein a pair of pivotal profile portions, namely a groove profile portion with undercut configuration of a groove wall and a tongue profile portion with undercut configuration of a spring side is provided.

10. A panel according claim 1, wherein a transparent cover layer provided at a top side is provided and a decorative layer visible through the cover layer is provided.

11. A panel according to claim 1, wherein an underside of the panel has a backing layer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is illustrated by way of example in a drawing hereinafter and described in detail by reference to a number of Figures in which:

(2) FIGS. 1a-1d show complementary locking means of a first pair of edges of a panel according to the invention and a stepwise joining movement for locking two panels,

(3) FIGS. 2a-2d show an alternative embodiment of a first pair of edges of complementary locking means of a panel and the stepwise joining movement for locking two panels,

(4) FIG. 3 shows a floor covering comprising panels according to the invention, which have a second pair of edges with complementary locking means in the form of pivotal profile portions, and

(5) FIG. 4 shows an embodiment for a pair of edges comprising pivotal profile portions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(6) FIGS. 1a to 1d each show a portion of two panels 1 and 2 respectively. The panels 1 and 2 are identical. Each individual panel has complementary profile portions 3 and 4 respectively at mutually opposite panel edges of a pair of edges. In the case of the panel 1 therefore the edge which is not shown identically has the profile portion 4 of the panel 2 while in the case of the panel 2 the edge which is not shown identically has the profile portion 3 of the panel 1.

(7) In the case of a panel having four edges the second pair of edges can be formed with complementary profile portions which are identical to those of the first pair of edges.

(8) The series in FIGS. 1a to 1d illustrates in a plurality of steps the implementation in principle of the joining movement for the purposes of connecting and locking the panels 1 and 2.

(9) The complementary profile portions 3 and 4 of each panel 1 and 2 respectively form complementary locking means V in the form of hook profile portions H. The hook profile portion of the profile portion 1 forms a receiving hook 5 and the hook profile portion of the profile portion 2 forms an arresting hook 6 which fits into the receiving hook 5, wherein the two hook profile portions are of such a configuration that an arresting action is produced. The arresting action counteracts a reversal of the joining movement. The panels 1 and 2, after locking has been effected, can thus not be released from each other in a rearward movement.

(10) Each panel 1 and 2 respectively includes a body 1 and 2 respectively with a plastic layer at which the above-mentioned complementary locking means V are arranged. A top side 7 of the panel forms a working surface. Provided on the receiving hook 5 remote from the body is a hook edge 8 and nearer to the body a receiving recess 9. The receiving recess 9 is open to the top side 7.

(11) The arresting hook 6 is provided with an arresting recess 11 which is arranged closer to the body and which is open to the underside 10, and has an arresting step 12 at a position remote from the body. The arresting step 12 fits in a vertical joining direction T into the receiving recess 9 of the receiving hook 5. In addition the arresting hook 6 has a joining surface 13 remote from the body and also remote from the body an arresting contour 14 which has a vertically locking action. Near the body the receiving hook 5 has a joining surface and also near to the body a positively locking contour 16 which fits together in positively locking relationship with the arresting contour 14 of the arresting hook 6. It is possible in that way to implement vertical locking.

(12) In addition, arranged near the body the arresting hook 6 has a horizontal locking surface 17 arranged at its arresting step 12. In matching relationship therewith the receiving hook 5, arranged in the receiving recess 9 remote from the body, has a horizontal locking surface 18 cooperating with the horizontal locking surface 17 of the arresting hook 6.

(13) At its receiving recess 9 the receiving hook 5 is provided with a narrowed receiving opening 19. The arresting step 12 can be introduced into the receiving recess 9 substantially in a vertical joining direction T, that is to say, in a plane perpendicularly to the plane of the locked panels.

(14) Referring to FIGS. 1a to 1d, the panel 1 is arranged with the receiving hook 5 on a fixed substrate (not shown). The arresting step 12 of the panel 2 is lowered perpendicularly to the plane of the panel (vertically). The arresting contour 14, that is remote from the body, of the arresting hook 5 has a latching recess 14a which is set back behind the plane of the joining surface 13 of the arresting hook 6. The positively locking contour 16, that is near the body, of the receiving hook 5 is of such a configuration that it has a latching element 16a which projects beyond the plane of the joining surface 15 of the receiving hook 5 and in the locked condition engages into/behind the latching recess 14a of the arresting hook 6. In addition the arresting step 12 and the receiving opening 19 are of such a configuration that the free end of the arresting step 12, during the beginning of the joining movement, firstly fits into the receiving opening 19 without any elastic deformation worth mentioning of the hook profile portions. In that case the horizontal locking surface 17 of the arresting hook 6 comes into contact with a part of its surface with the horizontal locking surface 18 of the receiving hook 5.

(15) Provided on the receiving hook 5 is a particular flexural leg 20 which can best be seen from FIGS. 1b and 1c. The flexural leg 20 is of such a configuration that the width of the receiving opening 19 can be enlarged by the elastic bendability of the leg so that the arresting step 12 can be inserted into the receiving recess 9 without any problem. In addition, because of the bendability of the flexural leg 20, the arresting contour 14 of the arresting hook 6 can be very easily introduced into the positively locking contour 16 of the receiving hook 5.

(16) At the beginning of the joining movement the hook profile portions are to be brought into engagement without already being elastically deformed at the engagement location. It is only upon further progress with the joining movement that the undercut regions of the arresting contour 14 and the positively locking contour 16 come into contact at the engagement location. That contact however causes elastic deformation which takes place substantially at another location, more specifically at the flexural leg 20 provided for that purpose. Admittedly the arresting contour 14 and the positively locking contour 16 are also pressed and deformed, but the harder and more brittle that the plastic material of the body is, the correspondingly less is the elastic deformation of the arresting contour 14 and the positively locking contour 16 and the correspondingly greater is the degree of elastic deformation of the flexural leg 20.

(17) The latching recess 14a of the arresting hook 6 is deeper than in the state of the art. Equally the latching element 16a of the receiving hook 5 projects further from the joining surface 15 of the receiving hook 5 than in the state of the art. As a result, there is a greater degree of undercut configuration in the vertical joining direction than in the state of the art. Nonetheless the arresting contour 14 and the positively locking contour 16 can be brought into engagement without any problem. This is because the flexural leg 20 is elastically bendable in such a way that such bending permits enlargement of the receiving opening 19. The arresting contour 14 and the positively locking contour 16 can thus be moved past each other without severe inherent deformation thereof until they are in positively locking engagement and deploy their vertical locking action.

(18) FIG. 1b shows that an inclined surface is provided remote from the body at the arresting step 12, that surface forming an inclined sliding surface 12a. The inclined sliding surface contacts the projecting latching element 16a of the positively locking contour 16 of the receiving hook. As a result, during the vertical joining movement of the arresting hook 16, a horizontal movement is superimposed, which moves the panels away from each other so that a space is formed between the joining surfaces 13, 15. At the same time the horizontal locking surface 17 of the arresting hook 6 exerts a force which presses against the horizontal locking surface 18 of the receiving hook 5. The force acting on the horizontal locking surface 18 of the receiving hook 5 is transmitted to the flexural leg 20 of the receiving hook 5, which as a result is elastically bent.

(19) In the further joining movement as shown in FIG. 1c the widest location of the arresting step 12 passes the enlarged receiving opening 19 of the receiving recess 9. Bending of the flexural leg 20 then decreases and the receiving opening 19 narrows again. The joining surfaces 13, 15 of the panels, that are at the spacing k, are pressed against each other by the flexural stress in the flexural leg 20.

(20) In FIG. 1d the arresting contour 14 and the positively locking contour 16 have reached a position in which they fit into each other in positively locking relationship. The hook profile portions H can be so designed that a residual flexural stress is maintained in the flexural leg 20 and an elastic force (spring force) is exerted by way of the horizontal locking surface 18 of the receiving hook 5, which force prestresses the joining surface 13 of the arresting hook 6 permanently in the direction of the joining surface 15 of the receiving hook 5. A closed join can be permanently achieved in that way. In FIG. 1d the horizontal locking surfaces 17, 18 of the two hook profile portions H are in a condition of bearing closely against each other and they do not exert a permanent prestressing action.

(21) FIGS. 2a to 2d each show a portion of two panels 1 and 2 respectively. They are again identical. Each individual panel has the illustrated complementary profile portions at mutually opposite panel edges of a pair of edges. In the case of a panel with four edges the second pair of edges are provided with complementary profile portions identical to the panel edges of the first pair of edges.

(22) The series of the Figures once again shows in a plurality steps 2a to 2d the implementation in principle of the joining movement for connecting and locking the panels.

(23) The embodiment of the panel 1 and 2 respectively as shown in FIGS. 2a to 2d substantially corresponds to the embodiment of FIGS. 1a to 1d. In that respect the same references are used for identical features, as in FIGS. 1a to 1d. As shown in FIGS. 2a to 2d, there is provided a second positively locking locking action. For that purpose there is provided a resilient latching tongue which is rooted at the hook edge 8 of the receiving hook 5. Near the body the arresting recess 11 has a latching recess 22 which cooperates with the resilient latching tongue 21, in that way there is a second location within a hook connection, which is to be fitted into each other without any problem by elastic deformation of a region adapted and provided for that purpose, namely the resilient latching tongue 21. The resilient latching tongue 21 together with the arresting recess 9 also provides for locking of the two hook profile portions H in a vertical direction, that is to say perpendicularly to the plane of the locked panels.

(24) The resilient latching tongue 21 is integral with the body. In that respect use is made of the elastic properties of the body. It is desirable for the locking effect of the resilient latching tongue 21 if the plastic material of plastic layer P of the body is relatively hard and flexurally stiff. A harder plastic material therefore acts better than a soft plastic material which yields easily.

(25) The resilient latching tongue 21 projects inclinedly downwardly from the hook edge 8. When the panel 1 is lying with its underside 10 on a substrate (not shown) the free end of the resilient latching tongue 21 points in the direction of the substrate. Remote from the body the resilient latching tongue 21 has a sliding surface 23 which comes into contact with the arresting hook 6 during the joining movement and thus causes an inward spring movement of the latching tongue 21. Due to that movement the latching tongue 21 is moved closer to the hook edge 8 or closer to the body of the panel 1. In that case the resilient latching tongue 21 is elastically stressed and enables the vertical joining movement so that the arresting hook 6 can be further lowered. The arresting hook 6 can then be further introduced into the receiving hook 5 until the two panels 1 and 2 are disposed in one plane. A free space 24 into which the latching tongue 21 can elastically springingly engage is provided between the resilient latching tongue 21 and the hook edge 8. Elastic prestressing of the latching tongue 21 makes it possible for the latching tongue to spring back in the direction of its neutral position if there is space for same. Space is available when the latching tongue 21, during the joining movement, passes into the region of the latching recess 22 of the arresting hook 6.

(26) The latching recess 22 has a latching contact surface 25 which, by contact with the resilient latching tongue 21, causes vertical arresting of interconnected panels, that is to say, perpendicularly to the panel plane.

(27) The latching contact surface 25 is of such a configuration that it forms an inclined abutment surface for the free end of the resilient latching tongue 21. The inclined abutment surface 26 is of such a configuration that the stressed resilient latching tongue 21, when it springs back in the direction of its neutral position, comes to bear against that inclined abutment surface 26 before reaching its neutral position. Thus a residual prestressing is always maintained in the latching tongue 21, thereby ensuring a secure arresting action.

(28) A preferred embodiment of a quadrangular panel is shown in FIG. 3 which illustrates portion-wise the production of a floor covering from panels according to the invention. The panels used involve an embodiment with a first pair of edges having complementary hook profile portions H and a second pair of edges provided with complementary positively locking pivotal profile portions S. The pivotal profile portions S serve to interconnect panels of differing rows of panels. In this embodiment the hook profile portions H serve to interconnect panels of the same row of panels. The hook profile portions H of the first pair of edges can be so designed as in the embodiment of FIGS. 1a to 1d. Alternatively the hook profile portions H of the first pair of edges can correspond to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2a to 2d.

(29) FIG. 3 shows in the foremost row of panels III a new panel 27 which is to be locked both to the previous row of panels II and also to the adjacent panel 28 of the same row III. The new panel is fitted inclinedly in relation to the plane of the laid panels and is attached with its pivotal profile portions S to the front row of panels II. Then it is locked to the previous row II by downward pivotal movement into the plane of the laid panels. At the same time in that case the hook profile portion (arresting hook 6) of the new panel 27 is also locked to the hook profile portion (receiving hook 5) of the panel 28 of the same row III. While the new panel 27 pivots downwardly into the plane of the laid panels the arresting hook 6 is simultaneously brought into engagement with the receiving hook 5 in a scissor-like joining movement. The receiving hook 5 has a flexural leg whose elastic bending is completed step by step, the further the arresting hook 6 is moved in the direction of the receiving hook 5 or the further the arresting step of the arresting hook 6 is inserted into the receiving recess of the receiving hook 5.

(30) The second pair of edges can be implemented with complementary pivotal profile portions S in the form of all known positively locking profile portions which can be positively lockingly connected by inclinedly fitting a new panel to a previous row of panels and then pivoting the new panel downwardly into the plane of the laid panels. An embodiment of such a pivotal profile portion S is shown in FIG. 4.

(31) The complementary pivotal profile portions S in FIG. 4 include a groove profile portion 29 and a tongue profile portion 30. The groove profile portion 29 has an upper groove wall 29a which is shorter than the lower groove wall 29b. The lower groove wall 29b is also provided with an undercut recess 29c for the tongue profile portion 30. The recess 29 also has a horizontal locking surface 29d. The tongue profile portion 30 is provided with a tongue top side 30a arranged substantially parallel to the top side 7 of the new panel 27. The tongue underside 30b has an undercut configuration 30c and a horizontal locking surface 30d which cooperates with the horizontal locking surface 29d of the lower groove wall 29b. The inclined position of the new panel 27 shown in FIG. 3 is clearly indicated in FIG. 4 by the position shown in broken line of the tongue profile portion 30. The tongue underside 30b is placed on the longer lower groove wall 29d. The new panel 27 is moved with the tip of the tongue leading into the groove profile and the new panel 27 is then pivoted downwardly into the plane of the lying panel or panels.

LIST OF REFERENCES

(32) 1 panel 1 body 2 panel 2 body 3 profile portion 4 profile portion 5 receiving hook 6 arresting hook 7 top side 8 hook edge 9 receiving recess 10 underside 11 arresting recess 12 arresting step 12a inclined sliding surface 13 joining surface (arresting hook) 14 arresting contour 14a latching recess 15 joining surface (receiving hook) 16 positively locking contour 16a latching element 17 horizontal locking surface (arresting hook) 18 horizontal locking surface (receiving hook) 19 receiving opening 20 flexural leg 21 resilient latching tongue 22 latching recess 23 sliding surface 24 free space 25 latching contact surface 26 inclined abutment surface 27 new panel 27 new panel 28 panel 29 groove profile portion 29a upper groove wall 29b lower groove wall 29c undercut recess 29d horizontal locking surface 30 tongue profile portion 30a tongue top side 30b tongue underside 30c undercut 30d horizontal locking surface 30 tongue profile portion H hook profile portion k spacing S pivotal profile portion T joining direction V complementary locking means