IP Library Granted Patent US 11,085,475
Granted Patent B2
US 11,085,475 · App. 15/638,698 · Granted Aug 10, 2021

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: FLOORING INDUSTRIES LIMITED, SARL
F16B12/26A47B47/042A47B96/201A47B96/206B32B3/06B32B21/02B32B21/04E04F13/08E04F13/0894E04F13/10E04F15/02E04F15/02038E04F15/045F16B5/0056F16B12/46B32B2471/00E04F2201/0115E04F2201/0153E04F2201/041E04F2201/0523F16B2012/463F16B2012/466Y10T403/7005Y10T403/7073Y10T428/13Y10T428/19Y10T428/24008Y10T428/24488Y10T428/24942Y10T428/31591Y10T428/31982
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,085,475
App. No.
15/638,698
Granted
Aug 10, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Composed element, wherein this composed element comprises at least two panel-shaped elements, which substantially are formed from a board material; wherein said panel-shaped elements are interconnected at an angle by means of coupling devices including a tongue and a groove, which coupling devices substantially are made as profiled parts in the board material; and wherein said coupling devices also include locking elements, which, in coupled condition, prevent the moving apart of the tongue and groove. The panel-shaped elements are formed on the basis of board material in the form of particle board consisting of two or more layers, which in respect to the average fineness of the particles, show a different degree of fineness, namely a basic layer with coarser particles, more particularly chips, and at least one outer layer, or at least a more outward-situated layer, which is of a finer composition than the composition of the basic layer, in other words, with particles, chips, respectively, which on average are finer.

Claims (54)

1. A composed element, comprising at least two panel-shaped elements, formed of a board material and which, in a coupled condition, are connected together at an angle such that the at least two panel-shaped elements in the coupled condition form a corner connection, wherein the panel-shaped elements are connected by coupling parts, which comprise a tongue on one of the panel-shaped elements and a groove in the other panel-shaped element substantially made as profiled parts in the board material itself;

wherein the tongue is split into a first side and an opposed second side, the first side being elastically bendable and protruding farther from the respective panel-shaped element than the second side;

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

wherein the panel-shaped element with the tongue is made of MDF or HDF, whereas the panel-shaped element with the groove is made of particle board.

2. The composed element of claim 1 , wherein the panel-shaped element that is made of particle board comprises only coupling parts in the form of one or more grooves including said groove.

3. The composed element of claim 1 , wherein the tongue is situated at a distal end of the respective panel-shaped element, whereas the groove is situated at a side wall of the respective panel-shaped element.

4. The composed element of claim 1 , wherein the coupling parts and locking elements allow coupling by a turning movement.

5. The composed element of claim 1 , wherein said coupling parts show one or more of the following characteristics:

said locking elements are only present at one side of the tongue, whereas the other side is free from locking elements;

the locking elements include at least one locking part at the tongue and at least one locking part cooperating therewith in the groove, wherein the locking part on the tongue is provided at an elastically bendable part of the tongue, which also forms a side of the tongue;

elastic elastically bendable part is separated from the remainder of the tongue by a slot;

said locking elements are situated on only one side of the tongue, wherein the one side of the tongue on which said locking elements are situated is situated closest to an inner side of the corner connection formed by the connection of the at least two panel-shaped elements.

6. The composed element of claim 1 , wherein the panel-shaped elements at an exterior side of the corner connection formed by the connection of the at least two panel-shaped elements, adjoin against each other in a flush manner, such that the corner connection is free from protruding panel portions.

7. The composed element of claim 1 , wherein the composed element includes or forms part of a piece of furniture.

8. The composed element of claim 7 , wherein the composed element relates to or forms part of:

a cupboard, wherein the panel-shaped elements form at least a vertical and a horizontal wall;

a piece of bathroom furniture or a kitchen cupboard; or

flat-pack furniture.

9. The composed element of claim 1 , wherein the composed element forms at least part of a drawer and wherein at least two component parts of said drawer are comprised of said panel-shaped elements.

10. The composed element of claim 1 ,

wherein the panel-shaped element with the tongue is manufactured of wood fiberboard with an average density of less than 600 kg per cubic meter, also called Low Density Fiberboard.

11. The composed element of claim 10 , wherein said average density is less than 550 kg per cubic meter.

12. The composed element of claim 10 , wherein the tongue and the groove as well as the locking elements are made in one piece as profiled parts in the board material.

13. The composed element of claim 10 , wherein the coupling under an angle provides a corner connection having an inner corner and an outer corner, and wherein the tongue and the groove globally seen and in their coupled condition, are situated closer to the inner corner than to the outer corner.

14. The composed element of claim 10 , wherein the tongue is situated at an end face of the respective panel-shaped element, whereas the groove is situated at a lateral surface of the respective panel-shaped element.

15. The composed element of claim 10 , wherein the coupling parts and the locking elements allow coupling by a turning movement.

16. The composed element of claim 10 , wherein the composed element includes or forms part of a piece of furniture.

17. The composed element of claim 10 , wherein the composed element relates to of furniture or forms part of:

a cupboard, wherein the panel-shaped elements form at least a vertical and a horizontal wall;

a piece of bathroom furniture or a kitchen cupboard; or

flat-pack furniture.

18. A composed element, comprising at least two panel-shaped elements formed of a board material and which, in a coupled condition, are connected together at an angle such that the at least two panel-shaped elements in the coupled condition form a corner connection, wherein the panel-shaped elements are connected by coupling parts, which comprise a tongue on one of the panel-shaped elements and a groove in the other panel-shaped element substantially made as profiled parts in the board material itself;

wherein said coupling parts further comprise locking elements preventing, in the coupled condition, the drifting apart of the tongue and the groove; said locking elements including an insertion piece positioned in said groove and provided with a movable locking portion which can cooperate with a locking element formed at said tongue;

wherein the panel-shaped element with the tongue is made of MDF or HDF, whereas the panel-shaped element with the groove is made of particle board.

19. The composed element of claim 18 , wherein the panel-shaped element that is made of particle board comprises only coupling parts in the form of one or more grooves including said groove.

20. The composed element of claim 18 , wherein the tongue is situated at a distal end of the respective panel-shaped element, whereas the groove is situated at a side wall of the respective panel-shaped element.

21. The composed element of claim 18 , wherein the coupling parts and locking elements allow coupling by a turning movement.

22. The composed element of claim 18 , wherein the panel-shaped elements at an exterior side of the corner connection formed by the connection of the at least two panel-shaped elements, adjoin against each other in a flush manner, such that the corner connection is free from protruding panel portions.

23. The composed element of claim 18 , wherein the composed element includes or forms part of a piece of furniture.

24. The composed element of claim 23 , wherein the composed element relates to or forms part of:

a cupboard, wherein the panel-shaped elements form at least a vertical and a horizontal wall;

a piece of bathroom furniture or a kitchen cupboard; or

flat-pack furniture.

25. The composed element of claim 18 , wherein the composed element forms at least part of a drawer and wherein at least two component parts of said drawer are comprised of said panel-shaped elements.

26. The composed element of claim 18 , wherein the panel-shaped element with the tongue is manufactured of wood fiberboard with an average density of less than 600 kg per cubic meter, also called Low Density Fiberboard.

27. The composed element of claim 26 , wherein said average density is less than 550 kg per cubic meter.

28. The composed element of claim 26 , wherein the coupling under an angle provides a corner connection having an inner corner and an outer corner, and wherein the tongue and the groove globally seen and in their coupled condition, are situated closer to the inner corner than to the outer corner.

29. The composed element of claim 26 , wherein the tongue is situated at an end face of the respective panel-shaped element, whereas the groove is situated at a lateral surface of the respective panel-shaped element.

30. The composed element of claim 26 , wherein the coupling parts and the locking elements allow coupling by a turning movement.

31. The composed element of claim 26 , wherein the composed element includes or forms part of a piece of furniture.

32. The composed element of claim 26 , wherein the composed element relates to or forms part of:

a cupboard, wherein the panel-shaped elements form at least a vertical and a horizontal wall;

a piece of bathroom furniture or a kitchen cupboard; or

flat-pack furniture.

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 054042/0912 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 30, 2017
From: MAERTENS, LUC; CAPPELLE, MARK; VANHASTEL, LUC; DEMAN, LUC; VAN HOOYDONCK, GUY
To: UNILIN, BVBA
Reel/Frame 042873/0223 →