FLOORING TILE WITH INTERLOCKING CONNECTORS

Abstract

A flooring tile (10) comprises a tile top (12), a tile bottom (14), and a lateral border (16). The lateral border comprises tenons (18) alternating with mortises (20) for interlocking with mortises and tenons, respectively, of a neighbouring flooring tile. Each tenon has a front butting face (22) and each mortise has a rear butting face (24). The front and rear butting faces extend from the tile 2024/052006 top to the tile bottom, preferably over the entire height of the flooring tile. Each one the front butting faces and the rear butting faces has a top face portion (22a, 24a) adjacent the tile top and a bottom face portion (22b, 24b) adjacent the tile bottom. The flooring tile has tenons or mortises, the bottom face portion of which is recessed with respect to the top face portion.

Claims

1. A flooring tile, comprising: a tile top; a tile bottom; a lateral border, comprising tenons alternating with mortises, the tenons and mortises provided to interlock with mortises and tenons, respectively, of a neighbouring flooring tile; wherein each tenon has a front butting face and each mortise has a rear butting face; the front butting faces and the rear butting faces extending from the tile top to the tile bottom; each one the front butting faces and the rear butting faces having a top face portion adjacent the tile top and a bottom face portion adjacent the tile bottom, wherein the flooring tile comprises tenons or mortises, the bottom face portion of which is recessed with respect to the top face portion.

2. The flooring tile as claimed in claim 1, wherein 50% or more of the tenons or mortises have the bottom face portion recessed with respect to the top face portion.

3. The flooring tile as claimed in claim 1, wherein each one of the tenons has the bottom face portion recessed with respect to the top face portion.

4. The flooring tile as claimed in of claim 1, wherein each one of the mortises has the bottom face portion recessed with respect to the top face portion.

5. The flooring tile as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front butting faces and the rear butting faces are straight in the direction from the top face portion to the bottom face portion.

6. The flooring tile as claimed in claim 5, wherein the front butting faces of the tenons having the bottom face portion recessed with respect to the top face portion or the rear butting faces of the mortises having the bottom face portion recessed with respect to the top face portion are angled to the surface normal of the flooring tile so as to form the recesses.

7. The flooring tile as claimed in claim 6, wherein the angle to the surface normal of the flooring tile lies in the range from 0.5 to 5, preferably in the range from 1 to 3.

8. The flooring tile as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front butting faces of the tenons having the bottom face portion recessed with respect to the top face portion or the rear butting faces of the mortises having the bottom face portion recessed with respect to the top face portion have the recessed bottom face portion separated from the top face portion by a shoulder.

9. The flooring tile as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lateral border of the flooring tile has a top border portion adjacent the tile top and a bottom border portion adjacent the tile bottom and wherein the entire bottom border portion is recessed with respect to the top border portion.

10. The flooring tile as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recess has a depth amounting to 0.1 to 1 mm, preferably to 0.1 to 0.5 mm

11. The flooring tile as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tenons and mortises comprise dovetail tenons and mortises.

12. The flooring tile as claimed in claim 1, comprising at least three edges forming the lateral border.

13. The flooring tile as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lateral border of the flooring tile is formed, at least in sections, by milling.

14. The flooring tile as claimed in claim 1, wherein only the tenons or only the mortises have the bottom face portion recessed with respect to the top face portion.

15. The flooring tile as claimed in claim 1, wherein only the tenons but all the tenons or only the mortises but all the mortises have the bottom face portion recessed with respect to the top face portion.

16. A floor covering, comprising a plurality of flooring tiles as claimed in claim 1.

17. The floor covering as claimed in claim 16, the floor covering being a heterogeneous PVC floor covering in accordance with EN ISO 10582:2017.

18. The floor covering as claimed in claim 16, belonging to use class 42 or higher, e.g., use class 43, in accordance with EN ISO 10874:2009.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] 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:

[0029] FIG. 1: is a schematic perspective view of the tenon and mortise connectors of a flooring tile according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0030] FIG. 2: is a top view of flooring tiles according to an embodiment, in an unassembled state;

[0031] FIG. 3: is a top view of the flooring tiles of FIG. 2 after assembly;

[0032] FIG. 4: is a schematic top view of a part of a flooring tile as shown in FIG. 2 having the entire bottom portion of the lateral border recessed with respect to the top portion;

[0033] FIG. 5: is a schematic top view of a part of a flooring tile as shown in FIG. 2 having only the bottom portions of the front and rear butting faces of the tenons and mortises recessed with respect to the corresponding top portions;

[0034] FIG. 6: is a cross sectional elevation view across a first embodiment of a tenon and a mortise in the joined state;

[0035] FIG. 7: is a cross sectional elevation view across a second embodiment of a tenon and a mortise in the joined state;

[0036] FIG. 8: is a cross sectional elevation view across a third embodiment of a tenon and a mortise in the joined state;

[0037] FIG. 9: is an illustration of a method for forming tenon and mortise connectors in accordance with aspects of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0038] In the detailed the description of embodiments, the same reference numerals designate the same elements. The various views are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a part of a flooring tile 10 with tenon and mortise connectors, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The flooring tile 10 has a decorative top face 12, a bottom face 14 and a lateral border 16, of which FIG. 1 shows only a part. The lateral border 16 comprises tenons 18 and, between two neighbouring tenons 18, mortises 20, which are shaped complementarily to the tenons 18. Each tenon 18 has a front butting face and each mortise 20 has a rear butting face 24. When the tenon and mortise connectors of two neighbouring tiles are engaged, the front butting faces of the tenons of one tile are arranged opposite respective rear butting faces of the mortises of the other tile.

[0040] The front and rear butting faces 22, 24 extend over the entire height of the flooring tile 10. The lateral border 16 of the flooring tile 10 has a top border portion adjacent the tile top 12 and a bottom border portion adjacent the tile bottom 14. Each front butting face and each rear butting face has a top face portion 22a, 24a adjacent the tile top 12 and a bottom face portion 22b, 24b adjacent the tile bottom 14. The top face portions 22a, 24a are part of the top border portion and the bottom face portions 22b, 24b are part of the bottom border portion. The bottom face portions 22b, 24b are recessed with respect to the respective top face portions 22a, 24a. The front and rear butting faces 22, 24 are straight in the direction from the respective top face portion 22a, 24a to the respective bottom face portion 22b, 24b. The recesses are obtained by angling, e.g., by 0.5 to 5, preferably by 1 to 2, the front and rear butting faces 22, 24 with respect to the surface normal (arrow N in FIG. 1) of the flooring tile 10.

[0041] In embodiments of the invention, the entire bottom border portion may be recessed with respect to the top border portion, as shown, e.g., in FIG. 4. This is not, however, the case for the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1. The side faces 26 of the tenons (which correspond to the side surfaces of the neighbouring mortises) are essentially perpendicular to the top face 12 of the flooring tile 10, i.e., their bottom portions are vertically aligned with the top portions. In the illustrated embodiment, the side faces 26 are generally S-shaped but other shapes are not excluded. For instance, the side faces 26 could be essentially straight in horizontal direction, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In the transition regions between the side faces and the front/rear butting surfaces 22, 26 the recess of the bottom border portion increases gradually.

[0042] It may be worthwhile noting that the bottom border portion nowhere protrudes beyond the top border portion.

[0043] FIG. 2 shows two unassembled flooring tiles 10 in a top-down view. The illustrated flooring tiles 10 are shown as being square-shaped, but other shapes are possible as well. Tenon and mortise connectors are arranged along the edges of the flooring tiles 10. The pattern of tenons 18 and mortises 20 may be generally periodic. However, one or more of the tenons and mortises may be shaped in a particular (e.g., unique) way, so as to form one or more keys and locks that enforce a particular way of assembling the tiles and prevent undesired ways of laying (poka-yoke). Generally speaking, one or more of the tenons and mortises may be configured so as to break a symmetry of the tile. In the illustrated embodiment, such keys and locks are formed at the corners 28 of the tiles 10. These keys and locks prevent the tiles 10 from being assembled in a staggered manner and forces the user to lay the tiles in a square grid. Other types of keying may be used to enforce a unique orientation of the tiles relative to their neighbours. It is worthwhile noting that poka-yoke keys and locks need not be arranged at the corners 28 but could be arranged elsewhere along the lateral border.

[0044] The tenons and mortises of the flooring tiles of FIG. 2 are dovetail-shaped, but other shapes are not excluded.

[0045] FIG. 3 shows the flooring tiles 10 of FIG. 2 after assembly. The tenon and mortise connectors of adjacent tiles fit tightly because the top border portions of the tiles 10 are shaped exactly complementarily. The clearance between the tiles provided by the recesses in the bottom border portion remains hidden to the user when the flooring is laid out.

[0046] FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of a flooring tile 10, wherein the entire bottom portion of the lateral border, represented by the dotted contour line 30, is recessed with respect to the top portion of the lateral border, represented by the continuous contour line 32.

[0047] FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of a flooring tile 10, wherein only the bottom portions of the front and rear butting faces of the tenons and mortises are recessed with respect to the corresponding top portions. The side faces of the tenons (and of the mortises) are essentially vertical. The dotted contour line 30 represents the bottom portion of the lateral border and the continuous contour line 32 the top portion of the lateral border.

[0048] FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 show different configurations of the front and rear butting faces of the tenons and mortises. The figures show possible elevational cross-sectional views along the line A-A shown in FIG. 3.

[0049] FIGS. 6 and 7 show embodiments, wherein the wherein the front and rear butting faces 22, 24 are straight in the direction from the top face portion 22a, 24a to the bottom face portion 22b, 24b. The front faces 22, 24 of the tiles of FIG. 6 form an angle of 1with the vertical direction (or the surface normal N shown in FIG. 1). This results in a recess of 0.11 mm in a flooring tile having a height (thickness) of 6.5 mm. The front faces 22, 24 of the tiles of FIG. 7 form an angle of 2 with the vertical direction (or the surface normal N shown in FIG. 1). This results in a recess of 0.22 mm in a flooring tile having a height (thickness) of 6.5 mm.

[0050] FIG. 8 shows an embodiment, wherein the front and rear butting faces 22, 24 have the recessed bottom face portions 22b, 24b separated from the top face portions 22a, 24a by respective shoulders 34, 36.

[0051] FIG. 9 illustrates a method for forming a flooring tile with tenon and mortise connectors having a three-dimensionally curved surface. The flooring tile may be generated from a tile blank 38, which is then processed with a CNC (computer numerical control) machine, such as, e.g., a CNC cutter, a CNC milling device, a CNC grinder, a water-jet cutter, a laser cutter, etc. As illustrated in FIG. 9, a CNC cutting tool 40 may be moved along the contour of the flooring tile in the making while changing the orientation of the cutting tool 40. Arrow 42 shows the path of the cutting tool 40. For illustration, a few past positions of the cutting tool 40 are indicated by dotted representations of the cutting tool. It may be worthwhile noting that different techniques may be combined for forming the lateral border of the flooring tiles. For instance, a tile blank could be obtained by die-cutting. The recessed bottom portions of the lateral border could then be formed using a CNC cutting technique.

[0052] Another possibility for forming a flooring tile according to the invention would be by additive manufacturing (3D printing).

[0053] Flooring tiles and flooring in accordance with embodiments of the invention may be heterogeneous PVC floor covering in accordance with EN ISO 10582:2017, or homogeneous PVC floor covering in accordance with standard ISO 10581:2019. Nevertheless, the flooring tiles need not be PVC-based. It will be appreciated that use class 42 or higher, e.g., use class 43, in accordance with EN ISO 10874:2009, may be achieved.

[0054] The flooring tiles may be homogeneous, i.e., comprise one or more layers of the same composition and colour, possibly patterned throughout the thickness of the tiles. In homogeneous flooring, a transparent topcoat of a different composition is not excluded.

[0055] The flooring tiles may be heterogenous, in which case they comprise a multi-layer assembly of plural layers of different composition. A heterogeneous flooring tile may include one or more core layers, providing most of the structural strength of the tile, a dcor layer (e.g., a print) on top of the core layer, and a transparent wear layer protecting the decor layer. The wear layer may include a transparent topcoat (e.g., a polyurethane varnish) as its uppermost layer. On the bottom side, the tile may comprise a backing layer.

[0056] The core layer(s) may comprise one or more reinforcement layers (e.g., a fibre veil, a glass veil, a glass grid, a crenette, a leno weave, etc.) The core layer(s) may be comprised of (plasticized) PVC, filler(s), and additives (e.g., stabilizer(s), processing aid(s), such as, e.g., impact modifier(s), pigment(s)).

[0057] Examples of fillers include calcium carbonate, clays, calcium silicate, calcium sulfate, calcium oxide, magnesium oxide, hydrated magnesium silicate (talc), titanium oxide, zinc oxide, alumino-silicates, chalk, limestone, dolomite, bauxite, silica, diatomaceous earth, ceramic powder, ceramic microspheres, wood flour, cellulose fibers, and molecular sieves.

[0058] Preferably, the flooring tiles are phthalate-free (i.e., devoid of orthophthalate(s)). Examples of plasticizers include phthalate-based plasticizers, such as, e.g., dioctyl phthalate (DOP), diisononyl phthalate (DINP), bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), etc., or other plasticizers, such as, e.g., terephthalates (for instance, di-(2-ethylhexyl) terephthalate (DEHT)), trimellitates, alkyl citrates, adipates, sebacates, benzoates, maleates, 1,2-cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid diisononyl ester (DINCH), etc. A preferred plasticizer is dioctyl terephthalate (DOTP).

[0059] Examples of processing aids include stearic acid, metal stearates, petroleum waxes, silicon oil, mineral oil, synthetic oils, and polyethylene waxes. Acrylic-based processing aids may be preferred.

[0060] Examples of thermal stabilizers include metal compounds, particularly lead salts, organotin compounds, barium, cadmium and zinc salts and calcium/zinc stabilizers to provide stability during heat processing.

[0061] Examples of impact modifiers include methacrylate butadiene styrene (MBS) terpolymer, acrylate polymethacrylate copolymer (acrylic), chlorinated polyethylene (CPE), ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene terpolymer (ABS).

[0062] The flooring tile may include recycled PVC.

[0063] 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.