Floor covering panel

Abstract

Floor covering hard panels having at least on two opposite edges, coupling elements made in one piece with the panels, so that several ones of such panels can be mutually coupled, whereby these coupling elements provide for an interlocking in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the panels, as well as in a direction perpendicular to the edges and parallel to the plane of the panels, and whereby these coupling elements are made such that the panels can be rotated into and/or out of one another at least along the above-mentioned edges. The panels are provided, at least on the above-mentioned edges, near the top side, with a part from which has been removed an amount of material such as by a bevel.

Claims

1. A floor covering including a plurality of interlocking hard floor panels, comprising: a floor panel having a core formed from MDF or HDF, a top side including a substantially flat upper surface and a laminated structure with a continuous decorative layer located along the upper surface of the panel, the decorative layer containing a layer printed with a pattern; wherein said floor panels are formed starting from a larger board upon which one or several layers including said decorative layer is already present before the panel itself is formed; wherein each of said floor panels is provided with a first coupling means formed along a first pair of opposite edges, allowing that two of such panels can be coupled to each other without any play or practically without any play; wherein said first coupling means are configured such that they provide for an interlocking in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the floor covering, and in a direction perpendicular to the edges concerned and parallel to a plane of the floor covering; said first coupling means being realized with a first coupling part in the form of a tongue along a first edge of said first pair of opposite edges, as well as with a second coupling part in the form of a groove along a second edge of said first pair of opposite edges, said groove being bordered by an upper lip having a distal end and a lower lip, said lower lip extending beyond the distal end of the upper lip; said first coupling means for horizontal locking further being realized with a single contact surface at the lower side of said tongue and a single contact surface at the upper side of the lower lip which in the coupled condition of two of such panels provide a locking which prevents that the panels can drift apart, the contact surface at the upper side of the lower lip being positioned in the lower lip at a location beyond the distal end of the upper lip; said first coupling means being configured such that two of such panels can be joined by rotating the panels along the edges concerned; wherein a bevel is formed at each of said first and second edges of the panel, and located near a top side of the panel and extending downward from a respective upper bevel edge to a respective lower edge, wherein the surfaces of the bevels are realized with the continuous decorative layer located thereover; said lower edge of each bevel defining the position of a theoretical vertical joint plane where the panels in coupled condition join each other at their upper sides; wherein said first coupling means are formed in one piece with and from the core, such that the distance between the joint plane defined by the lower side of the bevel and the corresponding locking surface is substantially only determined by the one-piece core material of said core; and wherein said contact surface at the lower side of the tongue is located nearer to a center of the panel from a vertical plane through said upper bevel edge, such that said contact surface at the lower side of the tongue and the bevel do not overlap.

2. The floor covering according to claim 1, wherein the panel is realized with a minimum thickness of 9 mm.

3. The floor covering according to claim 1, wherein the panel is realized with a minimum thickness of 10 mm.

4. The floor covering according to claim 1, wherein the coupling means located along at least said first pair of opposite edges is realized to couple two of the panels by shifting the two panels towards one another.

5. The floor covering according to claim 1, wherein the panel further comprises a second pair of opposite edges provided with a second coupling means formed in one piece with the panel such that at least two panels can be mutually coupled without any play or practically without any play, the second coupling means providing for an interlocking in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the floor covering, and in a direction perpendicular to the edges concerned and parallel to the plane of the floor covering.

6. The floor covering according to claim 5, wherein the second coupling means is arranged for an assembly according to at least one of the following possibilities selected from the group consisting of: (a) at least by shifting two of the panels towards one other; (b) exclusively by shifting two of the panels towards one another; (c) at least by rotating the panels along the edges concerned; (d) exclusively by rotating two of the panels along the edges concerned; and (e) by shifting two of the panels towards one another and by rotating them.

7. The floor covering according to claim 1, wherein the first coupling means is arranged for an uncoupling according to at least one of the following possibilities selected from the group consisting of: (a) at least by shifting two of the panels out of one another in a direction perpendicular to the edges; (b) exclusively by shifting two of the panels out of one another in a direction perpendicular to the edges; (c) at least by rotating two of the panels along the edges concerned; (d) exclusively by rotating two of the panels along the edges concerned; and (e) by shifting two of the panels out of one another and by rotating them.

8. The floor covering according to claim 1, wherein a virtual straight extension of the lower edge of the bevel does not intersect the floor panel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In order to better explain the characteristics of the invention, the following preferred embodiments are described as an example only without being limitative in any way, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

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

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

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

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

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

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

(8) FIG. 8 shows a view analogous to that in FIG. 7, but whereby the panels are mainly shifted towards one another in one and the same plane;

(9) FIG. 9 shows a section of another panel according to the invention, with bevels which are provided with a print;

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

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

(12) FIG. 12 represents a section of another panel according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(13) As represented in FIGS. 1 and 2, the invention concerns a floor covering 1 as well as hard panels 2 from which such a floor covering 1 is built up.

(14) According to a first aspect of the invention, a floor covering 1 is formed of hard laminate panels 2, wherein these panels 2 are provided at least on two opposite edges 3-4, and preferably, as represented in the FIGS. 2 to 8, on both pairs of edges 3-4, 5-6 respectively, with coupling means or elements 7 made in one piece out of the core material of the panels 2, so that several of such panels 2 can be mutually coupled to one another, whereby these coupling means 7 provide for an interlocking in a direction R1 perpendicular to the plane of the floor covering 1, as well as in, a direction R2 perpendicular to the edges 3-4 or 5-6 concerned and parallel to the plane of the floor covering 1 or panels 2, and whereby these coupling means 7 are made such that the panels 2 can be assembled and/or disassembled at least along the above-mentioned edges 3-4, 5-6 respectively, by means of a rotation.

(15) Such coupling means 7, which make it possible to couple the panels 2 without any glue being required, at least on two sides and preferably on all sides, and whereby the panels 2 are uncoupled by rotating them out of one another, are known as such from international patent Publication No. WO 97/47834.

(16) From WO 97/47834 it is also known that the above-mentioned coupling means 7, as represented in FIGS. 3 to 8 of the present application, may consist of a tongue 8 and a groove 9 on the one hand, and of locking device 10 on the other hand which at least ensure a specific interlocking in a direction perpendicular to the edges 3-4, 5-6 respectively, of the coupled panels 2 and parallel to the plane of these panels 2. As is further represented, these coupling means 7 are moreover preferably made such that the lip 11 which limits or defined the bottom side of the groove 9, seen from a cross section, extends past the upper lip 12, while the locking means 10 are formed of interlocking parts 13-14 working in conjunction, on the above-mentioned lip 11 which limits the bottom side of the groove 9 and on the bottom side of the coupled panel 2 respectively, in particular the bottom side of the tongue 8 or the extension of this bottom side.

(17) As explained in WO 97/47834, such coupling means 7, depending on their embodiment, allow for different couplings. According to the most preferred embodiment, they are, as will be described hereafter by means of FIG. 1, made such that they allow for a coupling by rotating into one another as well as by shifting towards one another in a generally common plane. The latter allows such panels to be coupled by first rotating them into one another on their edges 3-4, as represented by the panel 2A in FIG. 1, with a rotation W1, and by subsequently snapping them together on their edges 5-6 by means of a translation T1. According to a variant, the connection on the edges 3-4 of the panels concerned can also be realized by starting from a position as is schematically indicated with reference 2B, and by coupling the panel concerned by means of a translation or sliding motion T2.

(18) The above-mentioned rotation is further illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, whereas the sliding motion is represented in FIG. 8. It should be noted that the tongue 8 and groove 9 are preferably made such that, as is also represented in FIG. 8, when two such panels 2 are freely shifted towards one another over a bottom or support, the tongue 8 automatically is introduced into and ends up in the groove 9.

(19) It is also possible, while holding a panel 2A in a rotated position, to couple a following panel 2C onto it on the edges 5 and 6 respectively, either by means of a generally co-planar translation T3, or by a mutual rotation between the panels 2A and after which both panels 2A and 2C are then rotated down to be interlocked with the preceding row of panels.

(20) Another advantage consists in that a glueless coupling without any play or practically without any play remains possible, also with thicker panels which can be rotated into and/or out of one another, without any extreme compression forces being created on the edge parts during the rotation. The bevels according to this invention ensure that such forces are excluded and/or remain limited, so that the risk of damages, among others to the top layer or to the surface of the bevels, are excluded, if not restricted.

(21) What makes the first aspect of the invention special is that the above-mentioned panels 2 are provided, at least on two of their edges 3-4 or 5-6 and preferably on all four edges 3 to 6, near the top side, with a part from which an amount of material has been cut-away and removed (a cut-away portion), which part preferably each time is in the form of a bevel 15

(22) As represented in FIGS. 6 and 7, these bevels 15 among others offer the advantage that the panels 2 can be easily rotated in relation to one another, as the material parts 16 and 17 which are otherwise present no longer press onto one another, and a contact zone 18 is obtained which is situated relatively low in the panel thickness.

(23) Another advantage is that when it is required for the above-mentioned interlocking parts 13 and 14, in particular the accompanying contact surfaces 19 and 20, to extend tangentially or almost tangentially around a circle having the contact zone 18 as its centre, the average gradient A of the contact surfaces can be kept relatively large for a same distance E of the protruding part of the lower lip 11, as indicated in FIG. 5, as a result of which a solid interlocking can be ensured, even with thicker panels 2.

(24) Another advantage consists in that, irrespective of the thickness D of the panels 2, the contact zone 18 can always be situated at a certain height H above the bottom side of the panels 2, provided the bevels 15 are realized over an appropriate height H1. Thus it is possible, if required, to always work with similar cutting tools to form the tongue 8 and groove 9, for thinner as well as for thicker 5 panels 2.

(25) Although the above-mentioned advantages are particularly felt with embodiments of the type whereby the uncoupling of the panels 2 can be realized by means of a rotation around the above-mentioned contact zone 18, it should be noted that the above-mentioned bevels 15 also offer advantages which do not necessarily coincide with the fact whether it is either or not possible for the panels 2 to be disassembled by means of rotation. Such bevels 15 offer the advantage that the panels 2 never press directly onto one another on their top surface, so that damage of the top layer resulting from mutual contact between the panels 2 is excluded, which is particularly important in the case of laminate parquet, as well as for floor coverings which are connected without any glue and whereby the panels are driven one another laterally in a generally common plane by means of a hammer and a stop block.

(26) Also, according to a different embodiment, the first aspect of the invention no longer merely applies to panels 2 which can be disassembled by means of a rotation, but it also applies to all sorts of panels 2 which are provided with coupling means 7 which make it possible for the panels 2 to be interlocked both vertically and horizontal on their edges 3-4, 5-6 respectively, irrespective of whether the assembly and/or disassembly has to be or can be realized by means of a rotation or sliding motion.

(27) The above-mentioned bevels 15 preferably extend at an angle X of 45? in relation to the plane which is determined by or includes the panels 2. However, other gradients are not excluded.

(28) Practically, the bevels 15 will extend in a horizontal direction over a distance Z in the order of magnitude of 2 millimeter, although other dimensions are not excluded here either.

(29) As is further represented in FIG. 5, lateral surfaces, in particular upper contact surfaces 21, 22 are present under the above-mentioned bevels 15, which fit up to one another at least at the top when the panels 2 are coupled, and thus form a mutual stop. A recess 38, 39 is formed on each panel below the upper contact surfaces 21, 22 such that when opposed panels 2 are coupled, and a clearance 40 is formed by the recesses 38, 49 between the opposed panels below the upper contact surfaces 21, 22 and above the tongue 8 and the groove 9 of the opposed panels 2.

(30) It is clear that the first aspect of the invention can be applied with panels 2 having an elongated design, as represented in FIG. 2, as well as with panels 2 having a square design.

(31) According to the above-mentioned second aspect of the invention, which the given example of FIGS. 1 and 2 is combined with the above-mentioned first aspect, but which can also be realized as separate from the first aspect, the invention concerns a floor covering 1, consisting of laminated hard panels 2 having a core 23 and a panel decorative upper surface 24, whereby these panels 2 are rectangular and elongated and are provided with coupling means 7 on at least two opposite longitudinal edges 3-4 and/or 5-6, as a result of which several of such panels 2 can be mutually coupled to one another, whereby these coupling means 7 are provided with an interlocking in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the floor covering 1, as well as in a direction perpendicular to the edges 3-4-5-6 concerned and parallel to the plane of the floor covering, and whereby these coupling means 7 are made such that the panels 2 can be coupled and/or uncoupled by means of a rotation along their longitudinal edges 3-4 and/or 5-6, such that the useful width B of the panels 2 is smaller than 17 cm, and preferably amounts to 15.5 cm.

(32) Such a narrow width B, combined with coupling means 7 of the type whereby the uncoupling has to be carried out by rotating the panels 2 in relation to one another, as represented in FIG. 6, offers the advantage that the height H2 over which the panel 2 to be uncoupled has to be rotated before it is detached, also remains relatively small, as a result of which the disadvantage mentioned in the introduction is minimised.

(33) Moreover, the panels 2, according to the second aspect of the invention, preferably also have a length L which amounts to at least eight times the width B.

(34) Preferably, the panels 2 made according to the second aspect of the invention, also have a single pattern which is repeated over the entire top surface, in particular a wood pattern.

(35) FIG. 9 illustrates the third aspect of the invention. According to this third aspect, the invention concerns a floor covering 1 consisting of hard panels 2 with a laminated structure, having a panel decorative layer 25 on the top surface, wherein cut-away bevels 15 or such are formed on one or several edges 3 to 6 of the panels 2, near the top side, and in that the exposed surface of these bevels 15 or such is also provided with a bevel decorative layer, in this case a print 26, which is preferably obtained as a print layer that has been provided on this surface by means of transfer printing.

(36) As shown in FIG. 8, the cut-away bevels 15 extend through the core 23 of each panel as well as the panel decorative layer 25, thereby exposing edges of the respective layers 23 and 25. The print layer 26 (FIGS. 9, 10) covers or masks the exposed core and panel decorative edges, preferably matching the pattern of the panel decorative layer so that, when viewed from the top surface, the exposed bevel area is covered by the bevel decorative layer.

(37) The panel decorative layer 25 may as such consist of several layers, but it preferably contains at least one film or coating-like layer imprinted with a pattern, for example a wood pattern printed on a paper layer. In this case, the print 26 can be realized on the bevels 15 or such with a similar pattern. As a printing technique is applied for the decorative layer as well as for the print 26, it is very easy to match both patterns as far as colour and/or design are concerned.

(38) As mentioned in the introduction, the print 26 is preferably moisture-proof and impermeable. Thus is obtained a sealing on the bevels 15, which is particularly useful when the panels have a porous core, for example made of MDF or HDF.

(39) FIGS. 10 and 11 schematically represent how the print 26 can be provided on the surface 27 by means of transfer printing. A support 28 which is provided with a printing layer 29 is put into contact with the surface 27 and is applied with a preferably heated press-on roller 30, as a result of which the printing layer 29 adheres to the material of the panel 2 and comes off the support 28, so that the above-mentioned print 26 is created. The support 28 with the printing layer 29 is hereby supplied as of a roller 31, whereas said support 28, after the printing layer 29 has been transferred to the surface 27, is rolled up on a roller 32.

(40) Other transfer printing techniques which are known as such are not excluded, however.

(41) It should be noted that, both as far as the above-mentioned first aspect and the third aspect are concerned, according to a preferred embodiment, one or several, and preferably all bevels 15 extend at such an angle that the plane including the bevel 15, does not intersect the contour of the panel 2 or at most just touches it, as indicated by the lines W in FIGS. 3, 4 and 10 outside the bevel area. This is advantageous in that, both when the bevels 15 are formed and when the print 26 is applied, these bevels 15 are easily accessible to the machine parts used in the manufacturing procedures.

(42) According to a fourth aspect of the invention, it concerns a floor covering consisting of laminated hard panels 2 with a core 23 based on MDF or HDF, or a similar material, wherein the panels 2 are each separately provided with an underlayer 36 made of synthetic material or another dampening or insulating material provided on the bottom side and fixed onto it, preferably made of polyethylene or polyethylene base material, as represented in FIG. 12. The combination of these materials offers the advantage that little sound is produced when these panels 2 are walked on.

(43) The above-mentioned underlayer 36 can be fixed to the bottom side of the panel 2 in any way whatsoever, for example by means of gluing or by melting it onto the panel. In the case of a conventional laminate construction, the structure thus consists of the decorative layer 25, the core 23, usually based on MDF or HDF, a counterlayer 37, and the above-mentioned underlayer 36.

(44) It is clear that the fourth aspect of the invention can be used in combination with floor panels which are provided with a conventional tongue and groove on their edges, as well as in combination with floor panels with coupling means which provide for a horizontal and a vertical interlocking, for example coupling means 7 as described above.

(45) The invention is by no means limited to the above-described embodiments represented on the accompanying drawings; on the contrary, such a floor and in particular the above-mentioned panels, can be made in all shapes and dimensions while still remaining within the scope of the invention.