IP Library Granted Patent US 9,797,427
Granted Patent B2
US 9,797,427 · App. 15/145,324 · Granted Oct 24, 2017

Composed element, multi-layered board and panel-shaped element for forming this composed element

Inventors: Luc Maertens (Lichtervelde, BE); Mark Cappelle (Staden, BE); Luc Vanhastel (Tielt, BE); Luc Deman (Izegem, BE); Guy Van Hooydonck (Schoten, BE)
Assignee: UNILIN, BVBA
F16B12/26A47B47/042A47B96/201A47B96/206B32B3/06B32B21/02B32B21/04E04F13/08E04F15/02F16B5/0056F16B12/46E04F13/0894E04F13/10E04F15/02038E04F15/045E04F2201/0115E04F2201/0153E04F2201/041E04F2201/0523F16B2012/463F16B2012/466Y10T403/7005Y10T403/7073Y10T428/13Y10T428/19Y10T428/24008Y10T428/24488Y10T428/24942Y10T428/31591Y10T428/31982
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,797,427
App. No.
15/145,324
Granted
Oct 24, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

Composed element including at least two panel-shaped elements, which each have an edge zone in which coupling means are present in the form of a profiled part respectively extending in the longitudinal direction of the respective edge zone, as well as each including an end face extending transversely to the respective edge zone, wherein said profiled parts allow coupling the panel-shaped elements together in an interlocking manner, wherein at least one of the panel-shaped elements includes an arrangement which hides from view at least a portion of the profiled part formed at the pertaining edge zone at the location of the end face.

Claims (24)

1. A set of panel-shaped elements comprising at least a first panel-shaped element and a second panel-shaped element configured to be coupled together to form a corner connection,

wherein the panel-shaped elements are provided with coupling parts allowing to couple them together, said coupling parts comprising a tongue at the first panel-shaped element and a groove at the second panel-shaped element, said tongue and groove being substantially made as profiled parts;

wherein said coupling parts further comprise locking elements counteracting, in a coupled condition, the drifting apart of the tongue and groove; and

wherein said coupling parts are configured such that the tongue can be snapped into the groove by a mutual substantially linear translation movement, and the coupling parts are also configured such that the tongue can be brought into the groove by means of a turning movement,

wherein the tongue has an elastically bendable part and a remainder part, said elastically bendable part being separated from the remainder part of the tongue by means of a slot, wherein said tongue and groove are configured such that, while snapping the tongue in said groove, said elastically bendable portion is subjected to an inward bending towards the slot, in order to provide a snapping of said locking elements, and

wherein the panel-shaped elements, in the coupled condition, define an adjoining plane where they adjoin, said slot extending from said tongue through said adjoining plane.

2. The set of claim 1 , wherein said locking elements, seen in the coupled condition, are only present at one side of the tongue.

3. The set of claim 1 , wherein the locking elements comprise at least a locking part at the tongue and at least a locking part in the groove;

and wherein the locking part at the tongue is provided at an elastically bendable part of the tongue.

4. The set of claim 1 , wherein the tongue includes an elastically bendable part and a remainder part, said elastically bendable part of the tongue being a more distal portion of the tongue than the remainder part of the tongue.

5. The set of claim 1 , wherein said corner connection defines an inner corner and an outer corner, said tongue having a side that is situated closest to the inner corner; and

wherein said locking elements, seen in the coupled condition, are situated on only one side of the tongue, namely said side being situated closest to the inner corner.

6. The set of claim 1 , wherein the tongue is situated at a side edge of the first panel-shaped element, whereas the groove is situated at a side wall of the second panel-shaped element.

7. The set of claim 1 , wherein the tongue extends distally in the same direction of a plane of the first panel-shaped element, whereas the groove extends in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the second panel-shaped element.

8. The set of claim 1 , wherein the panel-shaped elements are made from board material selected from the following group: particle board, wood fiberboard, MDF and HDF.

9. The set of claim 8 , wherein the profiled part of the first panel-shaped element is made in the board material of the first panel-shaped element and the profiled part of the second panel-shaped element is made in the board material of the second panel-shaped element.

10. The set of claim 1 , wherein the panel-shaped elements are made up of at least two material layers including a first material layer and a second material layer, and

wherein the set further shows one or more of the following characteristics:

the tongue comprises a side which is situated in the first material layer, and an opposite side which is situated in the second material layer;

the material of the first material layer shows a finer structure than the material of the second material layer, whereas at least one of said locking elements is situated in the first material layer;

the material of the first material layer shows a finer structure than the material of the second material layer, whereas at least one of said locking element is situated in the first material layer and is made in one piece therewith; and

the material of the first material layer shows a finer structure than the material of the second material layer, wherein the locking elements, thus, at the tongue as well as at the groove, are situated in the first material layer of the respective panel-shaped element.

11. The set of claim 1 , wherein the corner connection formed by the panel-shaped elements includes an exterior side, and the panel-shaped elements adjoin against each other in a flush manner, such that the exterior side of the corner connection is free from any protruding panel portions.

12. The set of claim 1 , wherein said substantially linear translation movement includes a substantially linear translation of the first panel-shaped element relative to the second panel-shaped element in a direction parallel to a major exterior surface of the first panel-shaped element and perpendicular to a major exterior surface of the second panel-shaped element.

Assignments (5)
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Mar 18, 2024
From: FLOORING INDUSTRIES LIMITED, SARL
To: UNILIN BV
Reel/Frame 066805/0445 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ADDRESS OF ASSIGNEE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 056494 FRAME 0304. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Aug 13, 2021
From: UNILIN, BV
To: FLOORING INDUSTRIES LIMITED, SARL
Reel/Frame 057182/0617 →
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Jun 7, 2021
From: UNILIN, BV
To: FLOORING INDUSTRIES LIMITED, SARL
Reel/Frame 056494/0304 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 13, 2020
From: UNILIN BVBA
To: UNILIN BV
Reel/Frame 054043/0249 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 3, 2016
From: MAERTENS, LUC; CAPPELLE, MARK; VANHASTEL, LUC; DEMAN, LUC; VAN HOOYDONCK, GUY
To: UNILIN, BVBA
Reel/Frame 038446/0896 →
Priority Claims (2)
BE 2008/0677 · Dec 17, 2008 · national
DE 20 2009 008 825 U · Jun 26, 2009 · national
Continuity (4)
Continuation 14324504 · Jul 7, 2014
Continuation 13140590
Provisional Application 61175596 · May 5, 2009
Related Publication 20160245322A1 · Aug 25, 2016