Floor covering, floor panels for forming such floor covering, and method for realizing such floor panels

Abstract

Floor covering, consisting of hard panels, with a laminated structure, whereby at least at the upper surface a printed decorative layer with a wood pattern is present, with thereupon a transparent layer of synthetic material in which impressions are formed, wherein the impressions substantially follow the wood pattern.

Claims

1. A laminate floor covering panel having a perimeter defining first and second pairs of opposite edges; said panel having a top side and a bottom side, and comprising a base plate and a top layer; said base plate being formed of a material selected from the group consisting of MDF and HDF; said base plate having an upper side and a lower side, the first and second pairs of opposite edges located adjacent to and surrounding the upper side of the base plate; said panel at least at said first pair of opposite edges being provided with coupling parts for mutually coupling a plurality of such panels to each other in a common plane to form a floor covering, wherein these coupling parts in coupled condition of two of such panels provide for an interlocking in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the panels as well as in a direction perpendicular to the edges concerned and parallel to the plane of the panels; said top layer comprising a generally horizontally planar decorative layer extending over the entirety of the upper side of the base plate; said decorative layer comprising a printed pattern; said printed pattern representing a single wood pattern extending over the entirety of the upper side of the base plate; said top layer defining a transparent or translucent synthetic layer having first and second generally planar surfaces, the second planar surface of the synthetic layer continuously covering said decorative layer, said transparent or translucent synthetic layer comprises more than one transparent layer of paper, synthetic resin and wear and tear resistant substances, wherein said synthetic resin hardens in a heated press; said synthetic layer defining said top side of the panel; wherein said synthetic layer comprises impressions extending from the first planar surface into a thickness of the synthetic layer short of the second planar surface to such a depth that the impressions are situated above the printed pattern, said impressions arranged to simulate textural and visual unevennesses which substantially follow said printed pattern to form an embossment which is in register with said printed pattern; wherein the wood pattern depicts at least two wood nerves and a zone therebetween; wherein the impressions are mainly situated in said synthetic layer above said wood nerves, while the synthetic layer above said zone therebetween is substantially flat.

2. The laminate floor covering panel of claim 1, wherein said panel at both pairs of opposite edges is provided with coupling parts for mutually coupling a plurality of such panels to each other in a common plane to form a floor covering, wherein these coupling parts in coupled condition of two of such panels provide for an interlocking in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the panels as well as in a direction perpendicular to the edges concerned and parallel to the plane of the panels.

3. The laminate floor covering panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said panel is oblong, thereby defining a perimeter with long and short edges; wherein said first pair of opposite edges define said long pair of opposite edges.

4. The laminate floor covering panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said decorative layer consists solely of a print.

5. The laminate floor covering panel of claim 4, wherein said decorative layer is provided at the underside of said layer of synthetic material.

6. The laminate floor covering panel of claim 1 or 2, wherein said decorative layer comprises a paper layer soaked in resin.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) With the intention of better showing the characteristics of the invention, hereafter, as an example without any limitative character, several preferred forms of embodiment are described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 schematically represents a part of a floor covering which is composed of panels according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 represents a panel of the floor covering from FIG. 1 in plan view;

(4) FIGS. 3 and 4 represent cross-sections according to lines III-III and IV-IV in FIG. 2, respectively;

(5) FIG. 5, at a larger scale, represents a cross-section according to line V-V in FIG. 1;

(6) FIG. 6, at a larger scale, represents a cross-section according to line VI-VI in FIG. 1;

(7) FIG. 7, at a larger scale, represents the part indicated by F7 in FIG. 6;

(8) FIG. 8 represents a view analogous as in FIG. 7, but whereby the panels are shifted towards each other substantially in one and the same plane;

(9) FIG. 9, in cross-section, represents another panel according to the invention, with bevels provided with a print;

(10) FIG. 10, schematically represents how the print in the embodiment of FIG. 9 can be provided;

(11) FIG. 11 schematically represents a cross-section according to line XI-XI in FIG. 10;

(12) FIG. 12, at a larger scale, represents the upper surface of a floor panel according to the invention, in particular the part indicated by F12 in FIG. 2;

(13) FIG. 13 represents a cross-section according to line XIII-XIII in FIG. 12;

(14) FIG. 14 schematically represents how plates can be realized from which floor panels according to the invention can be formed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(15) As represented in FIGS. 1 and 2, the invention relates to a floor covering 1, as well as to hard panels, more particularly floor panels 2, from which such floor covering 1 is assembled, whereby these floor panels 2, at their top side 3 or decorative side, are provided with a top layer 4 with a printed wood pattern 5.

(16) In the represented example, the floor panels 2 are rectangular, however, it is clear that they, according to not-represented variants, also can have another shape, for example, can be square or polygonal.

(17) Preferably, the floor panels 2, at least at two opposite edges 6-7, and even better, as represented in FIGS. 2 to 8, at both pairs of edges 6-7, 8-9, respectively, are provided with coupling means 10, by means of which several of such floor panels 2 mutually can be coupled, such that these coupling means 10 provide for a locking according to a direction R1 perpendicular to the plane of the floor covering 1, as well as in a direction R2 perpendicular to the edges 6-7 and/or 8-9 concerned and parallel to the plane of the floor covering 1. A generally planar interior region is defined on the topside 3 of the panel 2 between the first and second pairs of edges 6-7, 8-9.

(18) Hereby, such coupling means 10 can be realized such that the different floor panels 2 mutually can be coupled by means of translation movements T1 and/or T2 and/or pivoting movements W1, such as indicated in FIG. 1, as well as made clear in FIGS. 6 to 8.

(19) Such coupling means 10 which allow a glue-free mutual coupling of the floor panels 2, as well as an uncoupling thereof, are already known in themselves from the international patent application WO 97/47834.

(20) It is noted that the present invention, however, is not limited to floor parts with coupling means 10 which provide for a mechanical locking in the directions R1 and R2, but in fact also can relate to floor panels which are provided with other coupling means, for example, with a classical tongue and groove which can be glued into each other, or even to floor panels comprising no coupling means at all.

(21) Besides, the floor panels 2 either can be provided with additional particularities or not, such as an edge contour defined by bevels 11 at the upper edges, for example, such as represented in FIGS. 3 to 10, on which, as specifically illustrated in FIGS. 9 to 10, either a decorative layer 12 is provided or not, for example, by means of transfer printing, whereby, such as schematically represented in FIGS. 10 and 11, a print layer 13, which is present on a carrier, is transferred to the surface of the bevels 11, for example, by means of a heated pressing roll 15.

(22) The actual invention to which the present application is relating, is represented schematically in FIGS. 12 and 13.

(23) The particularity thereby consists in that at the top side of the floor panels 2, a decorative layer 16 is present, with thereover a transparent layer of synthetic material 17, in which impressions 18A-18B-18C are formed thereby forming an embossment. Hereby, the decorative layer 16 and the layer of synthetic material 17 are of the kind as described in the introduction and together form the top layer 4 indicated schematically in FIGS. 3 to 10.

(24) According to the invention, the impressions 18A-18B-18C follow the printed wood pattern 5, preferably substantially in longitudinal direction as well as substantially in transverse direction and in directions situated in between.

(25) As represented in FIG. 13, the impressions 18A-18B-18C preferably only extend up to such a depth that they are situated above the printed decorative layer 16.

(26) As indicated by 18A and 18C, the impressions may consist of successive short impressions, or, as represented by 18B, of longer, uninterrupted, possibly bent impressions. Of course, other designs are not excluded. However, it is important that the location and/or shape of the impressions is in function of the wood pattern 5, with which it is meant in the first place that these impressions are realized in function of the wood nerves and/or in function of the wood pores.

(27) In the case of short impressions, these, such as indicated by 18A, can be directed with their length according to the printed wood nerve 19 or, as indicated by 18C, also be directed with their longitudinal direction otherwise, however, positioned such that their configuration globally follows the wood nerve 19.

(28) It is noted that the three possibilities of impressions 18A-18B-18C represented in FIG. 12 are not limitative. Also, these will normally not be applied in combination with each other, but one well-defined type 18A or 18B or 18C or another configuration will be used.

(29) According to a variant, the impressions, instead of at the wood nerve 19 itself, also can be situated in the zones formed therebetween, and/or at the transitions between the wood nerve 19 and the zones situated therebetween and/or at locations where so-called wood pores are depicted.

(30) In FIG. 14, a form of embodiment of the method of realizing said floor panels 2, described in the introduction, is represented schematically.

(31) As represented, the impressions concerned, for example 18A and/or 18B and/or 18C, hereby are formed by using a pressing mould, more particularly a pressing plate 20, which, at the side intended for coming into contact with the products to be treated, is provided with a suitable relief 21.

(32) First, during production, large plates are manufactured, from which several floor panels 2 can be formed, more particularly can be sawn therefrom, which subsequently can be provided with coupling means 10, for example, by means of a milling treatment.

(33) For forming said plates, as schematically represented in FIG. 14, at least a printed decorative layer 16 and a layer of synthetic material 17 are provided on a base plate 22, such in a press 23, after which the whole is compressed by means of the pressing plate 20, preferably while supplying heat.

(34) According to the invention, previous to pressing, a positioning is performed between, on one hand, the decorative layer 16 and, on the other hand, the applied pressing plate 20, in order to position the printed pattern on the decorative layer 16 and the pattern present at the pressing plate 20 over each other.

(35) In the example, this positioning is performed by shifting the base plate 22, together with the decorative layer 16 and layerof synthetic material 17 present thereon, until the desired position is achieved. This positioning is realized by means of one or more adjustable stops 24 against which the base plate 22, with the decorative layer 16 and layer of synthetic material 17 present thereupon, and possible other layers, is positioned, possibly by means of marks which are applied on the decorative layer 16, which are perceived by means of one or more sensors 25, and whereby, by means of control means 26 and in function of the signals obtained from the sensors, it is provided for the control of driving means 27 of the movable stops 24.

(36) Obviously, the positioning can be achieved in the two directions of the plane of the base plate 22.

(37) It is evident that, according to a variant, the layer of synthetic material and the decorative layer, already before their application on the base plate, may consist of a single layer, for example, in that the decorative layer is soaked such that sufficient synthetic material is present thereupon in order to form impressions therein. It is also not excluded to start from a layer of synthetic material which is provided with a decorative layer at the underside, which layer is exclusively formed by a print. The term print must be interpreted in the broadest sense, and thereby any technique is intended with which an image of a wood pattern can be realized.

(38) Also, other layers may be taken up in the top layer, such as, for example, a layer of white paper, also impregnated with resin, which is provided under the decorative layer, which has the purpose of forming a neutral underground.

(39) The present invention is in no way limited to the forms of embodiment described as an example and represented in the figures, on the contrary may such floor covering, and more particularly said panels, as well as said method, be realized in different variants without leaving the scope of the invention.