Building panel with a mechanical locking system

Abstract

Building panels 1, 1 provided with a mechanical locking system including a tongue 30, at an edge of a first panel 1, cooperating with a tongue groove 20, at an edge of an adjacent second panel 1, for vertical locking of the building panels. The edge of the first panel is provided with a displacement groove 60, which is downwardly open, and includes an inner wall 61, an outer wall 62, and an upper wall 67. The tongue 30 is formed out of the edge of the first panel. A resilient and displaceable and part 66 of the tongue 30 is displaceable into the displacement groove 60.

Claims

1. A method to produce a locking system for a panel, the method comprising: forming a tongue of a material of the panel at an edge of the panel, forming a displacement groove for a part of the tongue in the material of the panel at an underside of the panel, by at least one of milling, sawing and drilling, wherein said displacement groove is downwardly open, milling a tongue groove in the material of the panel at an opposite edge to said edge of the panel, forming recesses in a lower lip of the tongue groove, by at least one of milling, sawing and drilling, and forming a resilient outer wall part above the tongue and a resilient outer wall part below the tongue to obtain a displaceable part of the tongue.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a core of the panel is one of a wood-based core and a plastic core.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: forming an inner wall, an outer wall and an upper wall of the displacement groove by at least one of milling, sawing and drilling.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: forming fixed parts adjacent to the displaceable part of the tongue.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the recesses match the fixed parts.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising forming a plurality displacement grooves in the panel.

7. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the core is the wood-based core, wherein the wood-based core is made of at least one of MDF, HDF, OSB, WPC and particle board.

8. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the core is the plastic core, wherein the plastic core is PVC.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a thickness of the resilient outer wall part below the tongue is configured to obtain the displaceable part of the tongue.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a thickness of the resilient outer wall part above the tongue is configured to obtain the displaceable part of the tongue.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the displacement groove is located at a distance from the tongue groove.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present disclosure will by way of example be described in more detail with reference to the appended schematic drawings, which shows embodiments of the present disclosure.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a known locking system with a separate and resilient tongue.

(3) FIGS. 2A-C shows a cross section of a known locking system with a separate and displaceable tongue.

(4) FIG. 3 shows a known locking system with a separate and displaceable tongue.

(5) FIG. 4 shows a 3D view of building panels according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

(6) FIG. 5 shows a 3D view of building panels according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

(7) FIGS. 6A-B show cross sections of building panels according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

(8) FIG. 6C shows a side view of building panels according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

(9) FIGS. 7A-D shows an embodiment of assembling according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

(10) FIGS. 8A-B show top views of the building panels according to embodiments of the disclosure.

(11) FIGS. 9A-B show a cross of the building panels according to embodiments of the disclosure.

(12) FIGS. 10A-B show a top view and a side view of the building panels according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

(13) FIGS. 11A-D show a top view, a side view and two cross sections of building panels according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

(14) FIGS. 12A-C show a side view and two cross-sections of building panels according to embodiments of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(15) A known locking system for building panels, which comprises a displaceable and resilient tongue 30 cooperating with a tongue groove 20 for vertical locking of the short edges is shown in FIG. 1. The tongue 30 is a separate part and is made of, e.g., plastic, and inserted in a displacement groove at a first short edge of a panel. The tongue is pushed into a displacement groove during a vertical assembling of the short edges of the panels and springs back into a tongue groove at a second short edge of an adjacent panel when the panels have reached a locked position. The long edges of the panels are provided with a locking system, which enables assembling to an adjacent panel by an angling movement, to obtain a simultaneous assembling of adjacent long and short edges.

(16) FIGS. 2a-b show cross sections of different embodiments of the known displaceable and resilient tongue 30 during assembling of two adjacent short edges. The panel with the tongue groove is lowered in relation to the panel with tongue 30, which is pushed into the displacement groove by the lowered panel. The tongue springs back, and into the tongue groove, when the panels have reached an assembled position, and locks the panels vertically.

(17) A known locking system for panels comprising a tongue 30, which is displaceable along the short edge 4a of a panel 1 in a displacement groove 40 and cooperates with a tongue groove 20 for vertical locking of adjacent short edges 4a, 4b is disclosed in FIG. 3. The tongue is a separate part and is provided with several protrusions 31a, which initially match recesses 33b of the tongue groove 20. The panels 1, 1 may be assembled by a vertical movement and the tongue is displaced, by applying a force at a part 32 of the tongue 30, to a position in which the protrusions no longer match the recesses in order to obtain the vertical locking. The long edges 5a, 5b of the panels are provided with a locking system, which enables assembling to an adjacent panel 1 by an angling movement, to obtain a simultaneous assembling of adjacent long 5a, 5b and short edges 4a, 4b.

(18) Embodiments of the disclosure are shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 6a-c, 7a-d, 8a-b and 9a-b. A locking system is formed at adjacent edges of an adjacent first and second panel 1, 1 for locking the adjacent edges in a vertical and/or horizontal direction. An embodiment of the locking system enables assembling of panels at the adjacent edges by a vertical movement, see FIGS. 7a-d. The locking system is preferably formed by mechanical cutting, such as milling, drilling and/or sawing, of the edges of the panels.

(19) A tongue 30 is formed at an edge of the first panel 1. The tongue 30 cooperates with a tongue groove 20, which is formed at an edge of an adjacent panel 1, for vertical locking of the panel 1, 1. A locking strip 8 with a vertically protruding locking element is formed in the edge of the first panel. The locking element 6 cooperates with a locking groove 14, formed at the edge of the second panel 1, for horizontal locking of the panels 1, 1.

(20) A displacement groove 60 is formed in the edge of the first panel behind the tongue 30. The displacement groove 60 makes a part 66 of the tongue 30 displaceable. During assembling of the first and the second panel 1, 1 the displaceable part 66 is pushed into the displacement groove 60 by a lower lip 31 of the tongue groove 20. When the panels are in a locked position the displaceable part 66 springs back and into the tongue groove 20.

(21) Other parts 68 of the tongue 30, beside the displacement groove 60 and the displaceable part 66 of the tongue 30, is fixed. To enable the panels 1, 1 to be assembled by a vertical movement, recesses 69 are formed in a lower lip 31 of the tongue groove 20. The recesses 69 match the fixed parts 68 of the tongue.

(22) FIGS. 4, 5, 6a-c, 7a-d and 8b show a first embodiment comprising a tongue 30 with two displaceable parts 66 and three fixed parts 68, two displacement grooves 60, and a lower lip 31 of a tongue groove 20 with three recesses 69. The cross section in FIG. 6a is at the D-D line indicated in FIG. 8a and the cross section in FIG. 6b is at the C-C line indicated in FIG. 8a.

(23) FIG. 8a shows a second embodiment comprising a tongue 30 with one displaceable part 66 and two fixed parts 68, one displacement groove 60, and a lower lip of the tongue groove 20 with two recesses 69.

(24) The first embodiment is shown in a 3D view in FIGS. 4 and 5.

(25) The cross sections in FIGS. 6a and b and the side view in FIG. 6c, show that a lower surface of the displaceable part 66 cooperates, for vertical locking of adjacent edges of the panels 1,1, with a contact surface 70 of the lower lip 31 of the tongue groove 20. A vertical movement of the displaceable part is restrained, since the displaceable part of the tongue is continuous with the fixed part 68 of the tongue 30a.

(26) The displacement groove 60 is formed from the underside of the first panel 1 and comprises an inner wall 61, an outer wall 62, and an upper wall 67. The displacement groove 60 may be positioned, in relation to the edge of the first panel, such that the thickness of the outer wall at a first 64 and upper part of the displacement groove 60, at the upper surface 65 of the tongue 30, is configured such that the outer wall breaks during assembling of the building panels when the displaceable part 66 of the tongue is pushed into the displacement groove 60.

(27) The displacement groove 60 may also be positioned, in relation to the edge of the first panel, such that the thickness of the outer wall of the displacement groove 60 at a second part 63 of the displacement groove 60, below the displaceable part 66 of the tongue 30, is configured such that outer wall breaks during assembling of the building panels when the displaceable part 66 of the tongue is pushed into the displacement groove 60.

(28) The walls at the at the first 64 and upper part of the displacement groove 60 and/or the second part 63 of the displacement groove 60 may also be broken before assembling of the building panels by pushing the displaceable part 66 of the tongue 30 into the displacement groove by a tool, such as a rotating wheel. An alternative is to use a cutting tool, such as a rotating wheel to separate the displaceable part 66 from the walls.

(29) The broken outer wall of the displacement groove may cooperate with the displaceable part of the tongue and thereby improve the guiding of the displaceable part 66 of the tongue 30 and/or improve the vertical locking.

(30) If the displacement groove 60 is positioned, relation to the edge of the first panel, such that a sidewardly open groove is formed at the first and/or second part 64, 63 of the displacement groove, the force required to push the displaceable part 66 of the tongue 30 into the displacement groove 60 is lowered.

(31) The contact surface 70 of the lower lip 31 may be positioned such that the displaceable part 66 of the tongue 30 is prevented to spring back to its initial position before assembling and thereby remains, in an assembled and locked position of the panels 1, 1, partly in the displacement groove 66. This position of the contact surface 70 result in that the lower surface of the displaceable part of the tongue asserts a force against the contact surface of lower lip in the locked position of the panels 1,1, which is shown in FIGS. 9a and 9b. The asserted force improves the locking and a play between the panels may be possibly avoided or reduced.

(32) To decrease the force applied on the tongue when a load is applied on the building panels and to further improve the strength and tolerances of the locking system, the edges of the adjacent panels may be provided with upper overlapping surfaces 90, which are shown in FIG. 9b. The upper overlapping surfaces are preferably essentially horizontal.

(33) If the tongue remains in the displacement groove 60 the upper wall 67 of the displacement groove 60 may cooperate, for an improved vertical locking of the adjacent edges of the first and second panels 1,1, with an upper surface 65 of the displaceable part 66 of the tongue 30.

(34) In order to improve the spring properties of the displaceable part 66 of the tongue 30, the displacement groove 60 may be filled or provided with an elastic material such as plastic or rubber. The improved spring properties may result in an improved locking.

(35) An embodiment comprising a displacement groove 60 with an outer wall, which is not intended to break during assembling, is shown in FIG. 10a. The side view in FIG. 10a shows that the distance from the edge of the first panel 1 is increased. The displacement groove has the result that a resilient and displaceable tongue part 66 is obtained. The top view in FIG. 10b shows an embodiment with an edge of a first panel 1 comprising two displacement grooves 60 and a tongue 30 with two resilient and displaceable parts 66 and three fixed parts 68 and an adjacent edge of a second panel 1 comprising a tongue groove with a lower lip provided with three recesses 69 that matches the fixed parts 68 of the tongue. The tongue comprises an upper essentially horizontal surface 90, which preferably extends along the whole edge. The upper essentially horizontal surface increases the strength of the locking system. FIG. 12a shows in a side view that the size of the tongue may be increased for building panels comprising favorably resilient material.

(36) FIGS. 11a-c show an embodiment in which also parts of the lower lip of the tongue groove is made flexible and resilient. This is achieved by providing a displacement groove also at the edge of the second panel. The side view in FIG. 11a and the cross section 11c show an embodiment comprising a displacement groove 71 which downwardly open at a distance from the tongue groove. The cross section in FIG. 11c is indicated in the top view in FIG. 11b by the A-A line. The cross section in FIG. 11d is indicated in the top view in FIG. 11b by the B-B line. The top view in FIG. 11b shows an embodiment with an edge of a first panel 1 comprising two displacement grooves 60 and a tongue with two resilient and displaceable parts 66 and three fixed parts 68 at an edge of a first panel 1, and an adjacent edge of a second panel 1 comprising a tongue groove with a lower lip provided with three recesses 69 that correspond to fixed parts 68 of the tongue, and two displacement grooves 71, to obtain two flexible parts at the lower lip of the tongue groove.

(37) Alternative shapes of displacement grooves 60, 71 at the edge of the first and second panel 1, 1 are shown in FIGS. 12b-c. The upper wall of the displacement groove is of a rounded shape in order to increase the strength of the displacement groove.