CHIRAL FLEXIBLE RECTANGULAR FLOOR COVERING ELEMENT

Abstract

A flexible, preferably polymer-based, rectangular floor covering element of double-angling type has six sides: a decorative top face and a bottom face, as well as four edges. The first long edge has a first connection profile with a recess at the bottom face and a tongue overhanging the recess. The second long edge opposite the first long edge has a second connection profile with a protrusion at the bottom face and a groove for receiving the tongue of the first profile. The first short edge is equipped with the first profile and the second short edge is equipped with the second profile. When looking at the floor covering element from above the top face, the edges of the floor covering element are arranged in the following order in the clockwise direction: 1) the first long edge, 2) the first short edge, 3) the second long edge and 4) the second short edge.

Claims

1. A flexible rectangular floor covering element with a decorative top face and a bottom face for contacting an underfloor, the floor covering element having four edges with tongue-and-groove connection profiles, that is to say: a first long edge with a first connection profile, the first connection profile having a recess at said bottom face and a tongue overhanging said recess and laterally protruding from the edge, a second long edge with a second connection profile that is complementary to the first connection profile, the second connection profile having a protrusion at said bottom face and a groove laterally extending into the edge of the floor covering element for receiving the tongue of the first profile, a first short edge with said first connection profile; and a second short edge with said second connection profile; wherein, when looking at the floor covering element from above the top face, the edges are arranged in the following order in the clockwise direction: 1) the first long edge, 2) the first short edge, 3) the second long edge and 4) the second short edge; wherein the tongue of the first connection profile comprises a substantially horizontal, upper tongue surface and a lower tongue surface located one vertically above the other; wherein the second connection profile comprises a substantially horizontal, upper groove surface and a lower groove surface located one vertically above the other so as to delimit the groove from above and from below; and wherein the floor covering element is a double-angling-type floor covering element, the first connection profile and the second connection profile being configured so that the second connection profile can be angled under the first connection profile and by said angling the tongue of the first connection profile being allowed to laterally enter into the groove of the second connection profile, whereby the upper tongue surface and the upper groove surface as well as the lower tongue surface and the lower groove surface come into contact.

2. The floor covering element as claimed in claim 1, the floor covering element being a synthetic floor covering element.

3. The floor covering element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the decorative top face comprises a decorative pattern representing a wood flooring, a bamboo flooring, a stone flooring, a ceramic flooring or a cork flooring.

4. The floor covering element as claimed in claim 1, the floor covering element being a vinyl tile or plank, a solid vinyl tile or a luxury vinyl tile.

5. The floor covering element as claimed in claim 1, having a height comprised in the range from 3 to 7 mm.

6. The floor covering element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second connection profiles are configured for interlocking floor covering elements to be assembled by angling the first connection profile into the second connection profile and then bringing the floor covering elements to be assembled into alignment, wherein, when the first and second connection profiles are interlocked with one another, the first and second connection profiles are secured against purely translational disengagement in a direction vertical to the floor covering element.

7. The floor covering element as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first and second connection profiles are configured in such a way as to deform resiliently and to snap into place when the floor covering elements to be assembled are brought into alignment.

8. A set of floor covering elements as claimed in claim 1, having user information associated therewith indicating that the set of floor covering elements is for right-handed persons and/or for installation from left to right.

9. A set of floor covering elements, each floor covering element being a mirror image of but otherwise identical with the floor covering element of claim 1, the set of floor covering elements having user information associated therewith indicating that the set of floor covering elements is for left-handed persons and/or for installation from right to left.

10. The set of floor covering elements as claimed in claim 10, wherein each floor element has a decorative top face and a bottom face for contacting an underfloor and comprises: a first long edge with a first connection profile, the first connection profile having a recess at said bottom face and a tongue overhanging said recess, a second long edge with a second connection profile that is complementary to the first connection profile, the second connection profile having a protrusion at said bottom face and a groove for receiving the tongue of the first profile, a first short edge with said first connection profile; and a second short edge with said second connection profile; wherein on each floor covering element, when looking at the floor element from above the top face, the edges are arranged in the following order in the clockwise direction: 1) the first long edge, 2) the second short edge, 3) the second long edge and 4) the first short edge.

11. The floor covering element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the floor covering element is a plank or a tile.

12. The floor covering element of claim 4, wherein the floor covering element is a vinyl composition tile.

13. The set of floor covering elements of claim 8, wherein said set of floor covering elements is contained in a package, said package comprising said user information in the form of a textual or pictorial notice.

14. The set of floor covering elements of claim 8, wherein said set of floor covering elements is contained in a package, the package comprising on an outside or interior thereof an Internet link in textual form or in the form of a machine-readable code, said Internet link pointing to an Internet site on which said user information is available as a text, pictures, a sound file or stream, a video file or stream, or any combination thereof.

15. The set of floor covering elements of claim 10, wherein said set of floor covering elements is contained in a package, said package comprising said user information in the form of a textual or pictorial notice.

16. The set of floor covering elements of claim 10, wherein said set of floor covering elements is contained in a package, the package comprising on an outside or interior thereof an Internet link in textual form or in the form of a machine-readable code, said Internet link pointing to an Internet site on which said user information is available as a text, pictures, a sound file or stream, a video file or stream, or any combination thereof.

17. The floor covering element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the floor covering element is bendable to a radius of curvature of 50 cm or to a smaller radius of curvature without visible deterioration.

18. The floor covering element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tongue has a height and wherein the tongue laterally protrudes from the edge by a length approximately equal to the height of the tongue.

19. The floor covering element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the groove has a depth and a height, and wherein the depth of the groove is approximately equal to the height of the groove.

20. The floor covering element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tongue has a height and wherein the tongue laterally protrudes from the edge by a length approximately equal to the height of the tongue, wherein the groove has a depth and a height, the height of the groove being substantially equal to the height of the tongue and the depth of the groove amounting to at least the length by which the tongue laterally protrudes from the edge.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] By way of example, preferred, non-limiting embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0021] FIG. 1 is a top view of a floor covering made with flooring tiles in accordance with the first aspect of the invention;

[0022] FIG. 2 is a transversal cross-sectional view of first and second connection profiles;

[0023] FIG. 3 is a transversal cross-sectional view illustrating how the second short edge of a flooring tile to be installed is connected with the right short edge of a flooring tile on the left already in place;

[0024] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a packaging of flooring tiles best suited for installation from left to right;

[0025] FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a packaging of flooring tiles best suited for installation from right to left.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0026] FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a part of a floor covering 10 made with flexible flooring tiles 12 in accordance with the first aspect of the invention. The flooring tiles 12 are of the double-angling type. Each flooring tile 12 has six sides: a decorative top face 14, a bottom face 16 (see FIG. 2) for contacting the underfloor 22 (see FIG. 2), two long edges 18a, 18b and two short edges 20a, 20b. The long edges comprise a first long edge 18a equipped with a first connection profile and a second long edge 18b opposite the first long edge 18a and equipped with a second connection profile that is complementary (conjugate) to the first connection profile. The short edges comprise a first short edge 20a equipped with the first connection profile and a second short edge equipped with the second connection profile.

[0027] FIG. 2. Shows the first and second connection profiles in cross section. The first connection profile, hereinafter referred to as the male profile M, has a recess 24 at the bottom face 16 of the flooring tile and a tongue 26 overhanging the recess 24. The second connection profile, hereinafter referred to as the female profile F, has a protrusion 28 at the bottom face 16 of the flooring tile and a groove 30 for receiving the tongue 26 of the male profile M. The shapes of the connecting profiles are conjugate to each other meaning that they can be brought into engagement. It should be noted, however, that the contour lines of the male and female profiles in cross section need not be completely identical. In the illustrated example, the male and female profiles can be brought into interlocking engagement. When the tongue 26 of the male profile M is inserted into the groove 30 of the female profile F, a small temporary deformation one or both of the profiles is necessary for the tongue 26 to reach its final position in the groove 30. When the tongue has been completely inserted, there is no or almost no residual deformation. However, the abutments 32 and 34 on the tongue 26 and the protrusion 28, respectively, secure the tongue 26 against slipping out of the groove 30 without application of significant force or carrying out the reverse movement.

[0028] When looking at the floor covering element from above the top face (as in FIG. 1), the order of the edges in the clockwise direction is: 1) the first long edge 18a (with the male profile—at the 12-o'clock position in FIG. 1), 2) the first short edge 20a (with the male profile—at the 3-o'clock position in FIG. 1), 3) the second long edge 18b (with the female profile—at the 6-o'clock position in FIGS. 1) and 4) the second short edge (with the female profile—at the 9-o'clock position in FIG. 1). The advantage of that arrangement of the connection profiles can be experienced when laying the floor covering. A floor is typically laid by first laying the rearmost row of flooring times from the left to the right and then installing the next row. Except for the first row and the leftmost tile in each row, a new flooring tile is always added in front and to the right of the tiles already in place.

[0029] The male and female connectors shown in FIG. 2 are so-called angling-type connectors: when a new flooring tile is installed, the user holds it in the orientation described above and shown in FIG. 1. The user then angles the edge on the left of the new flooring tile under the overhanging tongue of the flooring tile on the left already in place (see FIG. 3). When the tongue has thereby entered the groove, the new flooring tile is hinged down. During this movement, the connection profiles deform resiliently and then snap into place. Depending on the stiffness of the polymer material of the flooring tile (and thus the connection profiles) a clicking noise may or may not be heard by the user. The male and female profiles are now interlocked with each other such that their separation would require a high amount of force (potentially leading to damage on the flooring tiles) or the reverse movement of the profiles. The next step is the connection of the new flooring tile with the tile or the tiles in the row behind. The user typically holds the new flooring tile with both hands. The left hand supports the new tile at the corner of the second long edge 18b and the second short edge 20b while the right hand supports it at the corner of the second long edge 18b and the first short edge 20a. The new tile and the tile to its left are already connected with each other. The user now raises the second long edge 18b of the new tile, giving the new tile a decline towards the row behind. The tile to the left has to follow that decline because of its engagement with the new tile. At this point, a conventional flexible double-angling flooring tile would be likely to disengage from the row behind and the user would have to be quite careful to avoid that. With flooring tiles according to the first aspect of the invention, the risk of the already installed tiles to the left disengaging from the row behind is significantly reduced. Keeping the tile to be installed inclined, the user pushes it with the male profile of the first long edge 18a into the female profile of the second long edge of the tile(s) behind it. When the connection profiles are in contact, the user lowers the second long edge 18b of the new tile on the underfloor. By that rotational motion of the new tile, the male and female profiles become interconnected along the long edge.

[0030] FIG. 4 shows an example of a packaging 36a of a set of flooring tiles according to the first aspect of the invention. The packaging 36a comprises several indications that the flooring tiles are most suitable for installation by right-handed persons, in particular a matrix barcode 38a, a pictogram representing a right hand 40a and a textual notice 42a.

[0031] FIG. 5 shows an example of a packaging 36b of a set of flooring tiles according to the fourth aspect of the invention. The packaging 36b comprises several indications that the flooring tiles are most suitable for installation by left-handed persons, in particular a matrix barcode 38b, a pictogram representing a left hand 40b and a textual notice 42b. It will be appreciated that flooring tiles of a set according to the fourth aspect of the invention are mirrored versions of flooring tiles according to the first aspect of the invention. In fact, either the short or the long edges of the tiles are permuted. Installation of the mirrored tiles is carried out in exactly the same way as that of the tiles of FIG. 1, except that left and right are inverted.

[0032] It will be understood that flooring tiles according to the first aspect of the invention are most suitable for installation from left to right, while mirrored flooring tiles are most suitable for installation from right to left, irrespectively of the handedness of the person installing them.

[0033] While specific embodiments have been described herein in detail, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, the particular arrangements disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention, which is to be given the full breadth of the appended claims and any and all equivalents thereof.